XN000022-1978-05-15 — Page 3

MONDAY, MAY 15, 1978

MR. HAYE WAS ALSO CAREFUL TO POINT OUT THAT THE GOVERNMENT DECISION IN NO WAY PREEMPTED THE WHITE PAPER ON SENIOR SECONDARY AND TERTIARY EDUCATION WHICH WAS DUE FOR PUBLICATION LATER THIS YEAR. THE NEW ARRANGEMENTS WOULD SERVE NOT ONLY TO PROVIDE A CERTIFICATE FOR THOSE WHO WISHED TO LEAVE SCHOOL TO WORK, BUT ALSO PROVIDE THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT WITH AN EFFECTIVE MEANS TO SELECT AND ALLOCATE CHILDREN FOR SUBSIDISED EDUCATION POST-FORM 3. SOME FORM OF SELECTION, IF ONLY FOR ALLOCATION, WOULD BE NECESSARY WHATEVER WAS DECIDED BY THE WHITE PAPER.

TURNING TO DETAILS OF THE NEW ARRANGEMENTS, MR. HAYE OBSERVED THAT WHILE IT WAS POSSIBLE TO STATE CLEARLY WHAT WAS INTENDED FOR SCHOOL ASSESSMENTS AND CERTIFICATION IN BROAD TERMS. THE PRECISE DETAILS OF THE MEANS BY WHICH THE DEPARTMENT WOULD SCALE AND MONITOR ASSESSMENTS DEPENDED ON FURTHER EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH IN WHICH HIS OFFICERS WERE ACTIVELY ENGAGED, AND THESE WOULD BE ANNOUNCED BY SEPTEMBER NEXT YEAR.

WHAT COULD BE SAID NOW WAS THAT THIS WOULD INVOLVE A TEST IN THE USE OF BASIC LANGUAGES (CHINESE AND ENGLISH) AND THE USE OF NUMBER (MATHEMATICS), WITH THE IMPORTANT REMINDER THAT THE TEST WOULD BE SO DEVISED THAT SCHOOLS WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO CRAM FOR IT.

CONSIDERATION WAS BEING GIVEN TO THE SUGGESTION OF A NUMBER OF EDUCATIONAL COUNCILS THAT AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE OF HEADS OF SCHOOLS AND OTHERS BE APPOINTED TO OVERSEE THE NEW ARRANGEMENTS, MR. HAYE ADDED.

IN ANY CASE THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT WOULD CAREFULLY MONITOR THE EFFECT OF THE NEW SYSTEM ON TEACHING AND THE SCHOOL CURRICULA AND REPLACE IT IF NECESSARY BY SOMETHING BETTER, THERE WOULD BE A REVIEW BY 1983.

THE ACTING DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO STRESS THE IMPORTANCE OF TECHNICAL SUBJECTS IN SCHOOLS.

NOT ALL SCHOOLS HAD FACILITIES YET FOR THESE SUBJECTS BUT THE DEPARTMENT WAS DOING ALL IT COULD TO HELP, INCLUDING ENCOURAGING THE EXPANSION OF ART RELATED TO DESIGN, AND WHILE IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO SCALE THESE SUBJECTS EFFECTIVELY, THEY SHOULD NOT BE NEGLECTED.

A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF FORM 3 LEAVERS WOULD BE LOOKING TO OPPORTUNITIES IN THE PRESENT TECHNICAL INSTITUTES AND THE NEW ARRANGEMENTS WOULD GIVE THEM EVERY ENCOURAGEMENT. ALSO, STUDENTS FROM PREVOCATIONAL SCHOOLS WOULD RECEIVE PRIORITY IN SELECTION AND ALLOCATION FOR TECHNICAL COURSES.

MR. HAYE THEN SUMMARISED SALIENT FEATURES OF THE NEW SYSTEM WHICH IS TO REPLACE THE ORIGINALLY PROPOSED FULL-SCALE FORMAL JCE EXAMINATION IN 1981 AND SAID THAT HE WAS CONFIDENT THAT PUPILS, PARENTS AND SCHOOLS WOULD WELCOME HIS ANNOUNCEMENT.

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