XN000022-1978-03-14 — Page 4

TUESDAY, MARCH 14, 1978

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EDUCATION DEPARTMENT PLACEMENT SERVICE TO BE REACTIVATED IN MAY

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THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT'S PLACEMENT SERVICE WILL GO INTO ACTION IN MID-MAY TO FIND ALTERNATIVE JOBS FOR REDUNDANT AIDED PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS.

ANNOUNCING THIS TODAY, THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION (SCHOOLS), MR. LAM TAT-LAU, SAID THAT THE MOVE WAS PART OF THE CONTINUED ACTION OF THE DEPARTMENT IN EASING THE LOT OF DISPLACED TEACHERS ARISING FROM A GRADUAL MOVEMENT OF POPULATION TO NEW AREAS AND A DECLINE IN THE NUMBER OF CHILDREN IN THE APPROPRIATE AGE GROUP WHICH HAD LED TO A PHASING OUT OF SERIOUSLY UNDER-UTILISED CLASSES IN RECENT YEARS.

THE PLACEMENT SERVICE WILL BE HEADED BY A SENIOR EDUCATION OFFICER, MR. CHAN SAI-BUN, AND WILL START WORKING FROM MAY 15.

MR. LAM STATED THAT EVERY EFFORT WAS BEING TAKEN TO ABSORB THE REDUNDANT TEACHERS WHEREVER POSSIBLE BY OPENING NEW CLASSES IN AIDED SCHOOLS AND AGAINST VACANCIES IN SCHOOLS FOLLOWING THE RETIREMENT OF TEACHERS, RESIGNATIONS AND DEATHS.

IT IS ESTIMATED THAT AROUND 400 CLASSES WOULD BE CLOSED IN SEPTEMBER 1978, RESULTING IN SOME 440 REDUNDANT TEACHERS, MR. LAM SAID. BUT ABOUT THE SAME TIME SOME 200 NEW CLASSES WOULD BE OPENED IN ORDINARY SCHOOLS IN THE NEW TOWNS, IN THE NEW ESTATES IN DEVELOPING AREAS, AND IN AREAS WITH SHORTAGES OF AIDED PRIMARY SCHOOL PLACES.

+THIS SHOULD ABSORB AN ESTIMATED 220 TEACHERS IN THE SCHOOLS STRAIGHT AWAY, HE ADDED.

AS FOR THE REMAINING 220 REDUNDANT TEACHERS, THEY COULD BE READILY ABSORBED IN 235 VACANCIES IN SCHOOLS ARISING FROM RETIRE- MENT AND OTHER NORMAL WASTAGE, NOT TO MENTION OPENINGS IN SPECIAL CLASSES.

MR. LAM ALSO POINTED OUT THAT ADDITIONAL SPECIAL CLASSES IN ORDINARY AIDED PRIMARY SCHOOLS WOULD NEED 116 TEACHERS, BRINGING THE TOTAL NUMBER OF VACANCIES TO 571.

IN THE LAST THREE YEARS, THE PLACEMENT SERVICE HAD PUT UP A CREDITABLE PERFORMANCE OF PLACING MORE THAN 750 TEACHERS IN AIDED PRIMARY SCHOOLS, REPRESENTING MORE THAN FIVE PER CENT OF THE TOTAL NUMBER OF SERVING TEACHERS IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS. IN 1977, THE SERVICE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR FINDING ALTERNATIVE TEACHING JOBS FOR 400 TEACHERS. IT HELPED PLACE 165 TEACHERS IN 1976 AND 187 TEACHERS IN 1975.

THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR EMPHASISED THAT WHILE THE PLACEMENT SERVICE DID ITS BEST TO PLACE REDUNDANT AIDED PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS IN ALTERNATIVE JOBS, IT DID NOT GUARANTEE EMPLOYMENT.

+THE SERVICE IDENTIFIES VACANCIES, HE SAID, +AND BRINGS SCHOOL MANAGERS AND TEACHERS TOGETHER WITH A VIEW TO SOLVING THE PROBLEM. MUCH DEPENDS ON THE WILLINGNESS OF THE TEACHERS CONCERNED TO TAKE UP APPOINTMENTS, THE COOPERATION OF MANAGERS TO ACCEPT TEACHERS AND THE SUITABILITY OF TEACHERS WITH SUBJECT SPECIALISMS WHICH MAY OR MAY NOT MATCH VACANCIES.+

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