XN000022-1977-12-09 — Page 8

+

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1977

NEW FULL-TIME PRE-TECHNICAL COURSE UNDER WAY

****

EIGHTY STUDENTS ARE ATTENDING A NEW, ONE-YEAR, FULL-TIME, PRE-TECHNICAL COURSE AT THE MORRISON HILL TECHNICAL INSTITUTE.

THE COURSE DESIGNED FOR FORM 3 SCHOOL LEAVERS WITH A TECHNICAL BACKGROUND, PREFERABLY FROM PREVOCATIONAL SCHOOLS, WAS INTRODUCED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN SEPTEMBER THIS YEAR AT THE MORRISON KILL TECHNICAL INSTITUTE.

THE GROUP WAS SELECTED FROM OVER 250 APPLICANTS WHO TOOK AN ENTRANCE EXAMINATION WHICH TESTED THEM IN THREE SUBJECTS TRADITIONAL AND MODERN MATHEMATICS, ENGLISH, AND TECHNICAL DRAWINGS. THE SELECTED 80 CANDIDATES ARE RECEIVING TRAINING AT THE INSTITUTE IN TWO BATCHES OF 40 EACH, SAID MR. ALICK FONG YAN, THE ACTING PRINCIPAL OF THE INSTITUTE.

OUT OF THE 80 STUDENTS, 60 ARE FROM PREVOCATIONAL SCHOOLS AND THE REMAINING 20 ARE FROM SECONDARY MODERN OR PRACTICAL SECONDARY SCHOOLS, HE ADDED.

THE COURSE COVERS BOTH THEORY AND PRACTICAL CLASSES LEADING TO A PRE-TECHNICAL CERTIFICATE. A TYPICAL FIVE-DAY WEEK RUNS INTO 30 HOURS 10 HOURS DEVOTED TO WORKSHOP TRAINING AND 20 HOURS TO THEORY IN GENERAL SUBJECTS OF THE LEVEL OF FORM 4.

THE PRACTICAL TRAINING INCLUDES ELECTRICAL AND MACHINE WORKSHOP EXPERIENCE. TRAINING IS GIVEN IN RADIO, ELECTRIC INSULATION, ELECTRIC REPAIRS AND DOMESTIC APPLIANCES AS WELL AS IN SUCH MACHINE JOBS AS LATHE WORK, PLANING AND SHAPING, PNEUMATIC CONTROL, AND WELDING.

+THERE IS AN EXAMINATION AT THE END OF THE YEAR'S TRAINING.+ MR. FONG YAN SAID. +THOSE WHO PASSED CAN TAKE UP APPRENTICESHIP AND CONTINUE THE IR TECHNICAL EDUCATION EITHER BY DAY-RELEASE OR EVENING STUDIES.+

FOR SCHOOL LEAVERS WHO ARE ALREADY WELL EQUIPPED WITH CRAFT KNOWLEDGE, HE SAID, THE COURSE WOULD PROVIDE A DOOR TO TECHNICAL EDUCATION.

COMMENTING ON THE PRACTICAL PROBLEMS, MR. FONG YAN SAID: +THE COURSE IS INTENSIVE AND REQUIRES A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF ACADEMIC ABILITY. THE THEORY CLASSES ARE IN ENGLISH, AND STUDENTS WHO ARE POOR AT ENGLISH, POSE A PROBLEM SOMETIMES.+

18