XN000022-1978-07-05 — Page 9

WEDNESDAY, JULY 5, 1978

ALTHOUGH THE GREEN PAPER MADE REFERENCE TO THE INCREASED EER OF PLACES IN THE SCHOOLS OF EDUCATION OF THE TWO UNIVERSITIES, MEMBERS OF THE GROUP DELIEVED THAT, DESPITE THE INCREASE, THE RATE OF SUPPLY OF PROFESSIONALLY QUALIFIED GRADUATE TEACHERS WOULD NOT BE ADEQUATE TO MEET THE PROPOSED EXPANSION CF SENIOR SECONDARY EDUCATION AT THE TIME NEEDED.

TECHNICAL EDUCATION AND DAY-RELEASE COURSES

IT IS WITHIN THE FIELD OF TECHNICAL EDUCATION IN GENERAL THAT THE AD HOC GROUP BELIEVED THAT SOME ADDITIONAL ATTENTION IS NEEDED. THE GROUP FELIEVED THAT THE PRESENT LEVEL OF TRAINING IN THE TECHNICAL INSTITUTES IS TOO LOW AND THAT THE TEACHING STAFF ARE LESS QUALIFIED THAN THEY SHOULD BE.

THEY THOUGHT THAT LETTER TRAINING AND REFRESHER COURSES SHOULD BE ORGANISED AT REGULAR INTERVALS TO HELP THE STAFF TO LEARN, AND KEEP UP TO DATE WITH, THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

IN THE RELEVANT FIELDS.

CENTRAL ISED TRAINING WORKSHOPS WITH UP-TO-DATE EQUIPMENT AND FACILITIES SHOULD ALSO BE SET UP BY GOVERNMENT FOR USE BY BOTH TEACHERS AND STUDENTS.

THE GROUP FURTHER BELIEVED THAT DAY-RELEASE COURSES HAD NOT PROVED VIABLE AND THAT GOVERNMENT SHOULD PLACE MORE EMPHASIS ON EXPANDING FULL-TIME AND PART-TIME EVENING COURSES.

POST-SECONDARY COLLEGES

THE GROUP TOOK NOTE OF THE PAST AND PRESENT CONTRIBUTION OF THE POST-SECONDARY COLLEGES TO EDUCATION IN HONG KONG AND SUGGESTED THAT AN ATTEMPT BE MADE TO PROVIDE SOME FORM OF FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO THEM, INSOFAR AS THEY WOULD BE PREPARED TO ACCEPT FINANCIAL, QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE CONTROL EY GOVERNMENT BOTH IN REGARD TO THE CONTENT OF THEIR COURSES AND THE NUMBERS OF THEIR STUDENTS.

MEMBERS OF THE GROUP FAVOURED THE IDEA OF THE POST-SECONDARY COLLEGES PREPARING STUDENTS FOR DEGREES THAT WOULD BE GRANTED BY AN INDEPENDENT, DEGREE-CONFERRING BODY ALONG THE SAME LINES AS THE COUNCIL FOR NATIONAL ACADEMIC AWARDS IN THE UK.

THE AD HOC GROUP BELIEVED THAT, SINCE THE IDEA WAS MOOTED

A FEW YEARS BACK AND HAD BEEN UNDER DISCUSSION SINCE

THEN, THE TIME HAD NOW COME FOR MORE POSITIVE ACTION TO BE TAKEN.

IT WAS FELT THAT THIS WAS THE PROPER WAY IN WHICH DEGREE- BEARING COURSES MIGHT IE CONDUCTED BY THE COLLEGES, SINCE IT WOULD INVOLVE A THOROUGH INVESTIGATION OF THEIR TEACHING FACILITIES, STAFF CAPABILITIES AND STANDARDS OF COURSES.

THE LENGTH