XN000022-1978-07-05 — Page 8

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WEDNESDAY, JULY 5, 1978

PROVISION OF SUBSIDISED FORMS IV AND V PLACES

GIVEN THE GOVERNMENT'S TARGET TO PROVIDE SUBSIDISED PLACES IN FORI IV FOR 50 PER CENT OF THE 15-YEAR-OLD AGE GROUP BY SEPTEMBER 1981, INCREASING TO 63 PER CENT EY 1986 AND RECOGNISING THAT THERE WILL NOT BE SUFFICIENT PLACES IN GOVERNMENT AND AIDED SCHOOLS THE GROUP CONSIDERED THAT PLACES WHICH ARE BOUGHT TO MEET THESE TARGETS SHOULD BE IN SCHOOLS-OF ACCEPTAELE STANDARDS AND GENERALLY NON-PROFIT MAKING.

THE GROUP FURTHER RECOGNISED THAT THE TIME HAS COME FOR THOGE PRIVATE SCHOOLS RICH DO NCT MEET ACCEPTABLE STANDARDS TO BE REPLACED BY PROPERLY BUILT AND STAFFED GOVERNMENT AND AIDED SCHOOLS.

IN DOING SO, HOWEVEP, THEY FELT THAT GOVERNMENT SHOULD ENSURE THAT THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION OFFERED IN THE NEW PUBLIC SECTOR SCHOOLS REMAINS ATTRACTIVE TO PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS, SO THAT UNDER UTILISATION OF PLACES DOES NOT OCCUR.

THIS MAY MEAN THAT CAPUT SCHOOLS SHOULD BE BROUGHT ONTO FULL AID, IF THE PRINCIPLE OF EDUCATIONAL PARITY FOR ALL FREE-PLACE HOLDERS IS TO BE ATTAINED.

PROVISION OF FORM VI PLACES

THE GROUP AGREED THAT TO FIX THE OVERALL QUOTA OF FORM VI PLACES AT ONE THIRD OF THE NUMBER OF FORM IV PLACES WAS GENERALLY ACCEPTABLE.

THEY FELT THAT THERE SHOULD ALSO BE AN INTEGRATED ONE YEAR CURRICULUM SO THAT THOSE WHO DO NOT INTEND TO PROCEED BEYOND LOWER VI WOULD BE ABLE TO RECEIVE ONE COMPLETE COURSE. STATISTICS IN THE PAST TWO YEARS SHOW THAT ONLY ONE-THIRD OF THE LOWER VI STUDENTS CONTINUED THEIR STUDIES IN UPPER VI.

COLLEGES OF EDUCATION

SINCE SCHOOLS CAN ONLY EE AS GOOD AS THE TEACHERS WHO WORK IN THEN, THE GROUP ALSO EXAMINED THE PROPOSALS REGARDING THE TRAINING AND RE-TRAINING OF TEACHERS. THEY FELT THAT THE MINIMUM ENTRY REQUIREMENT SHOULD BE RAISED TO UPPER FORM VI. DOUBTS MERE EXPRESSED THAT, SINCE THE STANDARD OF ENTRANTS HAD DECLINED, PARTICULARLY IN ENGLISH, THE COLLEGES MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO PROVIDE TEACHERS OF THE RIGHT CALIBRE REQUIRED FOR THE EXPANSION AND BROADENING OF THE CURRICULUM OF SECONDARY EDUCATION.

LIKEWISE, THE GROUP WAS CONCERNED AT THE HIGH TURNOVER OF LECTURING STAFF AND RECOMMENDED THAT THOSE WHO HAVE ATTENDED OVERSEAS TRAINING COURSES SHOULD BE POSTED TO THE COLLEGES ON A MORE PERMANENT BASIS IN ORDER THAT MAXIMUM BENEFIT WILL BE OBTAINED FROM THE IR EXPERIENCE.

THE CURRICULUM OF IN-SERVICE COURSES SHOULD ALSO INCLUDE TRAINING IN THE ADMINISTRATION OF SCHOOLS FOR WHICH MANY TEACHERS ARE OTHERWISE UNPREPARED.

ALTHOUGH THE