XN000022-1977-07-29 — Page 3

FRIDAY, JULY 29, 1977

- 2

+TKE NEGOTIATIONS WERE TOUGH AND OUR INDUSTRIAL ADVISERS AGREED WITH RELUCTANCE THAT WE SHOULD ACCEPT THESE TERMS. THAT IS ALL | AM PREPARED TO SAY ABOUT THE MANNER IN WHICH THE NEGOTIATIONS WERE CONDUCTED+.

COMMENTING ON THE PRECEDENT SET BY THIS AGREEMENT, PARTICULARLY IN REGARD TO FUTURE NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE EEC, MR. DORWARD SAID THAT THE SITUATIONS WERE NOT REALLY COMPARABLE.

+ IN PUBLIC STATEMENTS EEC SPOKESMEN AND REPRESENTATIVES OF SOME MEMBER STATES HAVE CALLED FOR A REDUCTION IN GROWTH RATES FOR SENSITIVE CATEGORIES IMPORTED FROM MAJOR SUPPLIERS. IT IS, HOWEVER, A FACT THAT IN OUR TWO MAIN EEC MARKETS, THE UNITED KINGDOM AND GERMANY, ANNUAL GROWTH RATES ARE ALREADY AS LITTLE AS HALF OF ONE PER CENT FOR MANY OF THE SENSITIVE ITEMS AND YOU CAN'T GET MUCH LOWER THAN THAT+.

MEANWHILE, THE CURRENT AGREEMENT, DUE TO EXPIRE ON SEPTEMBER 30, HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO THE END OF THIS YEAR, WITH PROPORTIONATE INCREASES IN QUOTA LEVELS.

SPECIAL ARRANGEMENTS HAVE BEEN AGREED TO ALLOW EXTRA SHIPMENTS IN THE LAST QUARTER OF THIS YEAR, AGAINST 1978 QUOTAS, IN CERTAIN APPAREL CATEGORIES FOR WHICH THERE IS A SEASONAL DEMAND,

THE TRADE IS RELIEVED BY THE THREE-MONTH EXTENSION WHICH WILL EASE SOME OF THE PRESSURE ON QUOTAS, DESPITE GENERALLY SLACK MARKET CONDITIONS, THE DEMAND REMAIN STRONG FOR SOME CATEGORIES.

FIRST ACADEMIC APTITUDE TEST

*****

THE FIRST ACADEMIC APTITUDE TEST FOR THE ALLOCATION OF PRIMARY 6 PUPILS TO SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN 1978 WILL TAKE PLACE ON DECEMBER 6, 1977, THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCED TODAY.

+ THE TEST COMPRISES TWO PAPERS, ONE ON VERBAL REASONING AND THE OTHER ON NUMERICAL REASONING. THE DURATION ALLOWED FOR EACH PAPER IS 45 MINUTES, SAID MR. KENNETH LEE, SENIOR EDUCATION OFFICER (SECONDARY SCHOOL PLACE ALLOCATION).

IN ORDER TO ENSURE THAT THE TEST DEVISED IS VAL ID AND RELIABLE, THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT HAD RUN TWO PRE-TESTS, ONE IN MAY AND THE OTHER IN JUNE THIS YEAR, THE RESULTS OF WHICH HAVE BEEN ANALYSED AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF TEST PAPERS FOR THIS FIRST APTITUTDE TEST IN DECEMBER WILL BE BASED ON THESE ANALYSES.

MR. LEE ADDED: +PARTICIPATING PRIMARY SCHOOLS WILL BE PROVIDED WITH A SHORT PAPER OF PRACTICE ITEMS IN NOVEMBER WHEN PRIMARY 6

PUPILS WILL BE GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO PRACTICE ANSWERING THE QUESTIONS IN THE PAPER.

+SUCH PRACTICE ALONE IS ADEQUATE AND FURTHER PRACTICE MAY NOT BE AN ADVANTAGE. THE BEST PREPARATION THAT SCHOOLS MAY MAKE FOR THE IR PUPILS IS TO PURSUE STEADFASTLY THEIR EDUCATIONAL GOALS AND THE BEST PREPARATION THAT PUPILS MAY MAKE IS TO CONCENTRATE ON THE IR STUDIES.+

13