XN000022-1978-07-06 — Page 11

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THURSDAY, JULY 6, 1978

HE FELT THAT THOSE YOUNG PEOPLE WHO HAVE RECEIVED HIGHER -- EDUCATION BUT NOT AN ACADEMIC DEGREE SHOULD NOT BE BARRED FROM ENTERING CERTAIN PROFESSIONS IF THEY HAVE PROVED THEMSELVES TO BE COMPETENT BY ACTUAL SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY.

THIS WOULD MAKE OUR YOUNGER GENERATION MUCH MORE CONTENTED AND HARDER-WORKING. THE DEMAND FOR ENTERING A UNIVERSITY AND OBTAINING A DEGREE WOULD ALSO BE LESSENED AND SOCIAL PRESSURE GENERATED FROM THE TREMENDOUS DEMAND FOR TERTIARY EDUCATION WOULD BE ALLEVIATED.

MR. S.L. CHEN: REDUCE NUMBER OF PUBLIC EXAMINATIONS

THE HON. S.L. CHEN CRITICISED THE EDUCATION SYSTEM FOR BEING TOO +EXAMINATION-RIDDEN+ AND SUGGESTED THAT THE HONG KONG CERTIFICATE OF EDUCATION EXAMINATION COULD BE ADOPTED TO SELECT STUDENTS FOR THE UNIVERSITIES TO DISPENSE WITH THE MATRICULATION EXAMINATION.

HE EXPLAINED THAT THE BASIC ARGUMENT FOR THIS IS THAT NEITHER LOWER FORM VI NOR UPPER FORM VI MEET THE PRESENT REQUIREMENTS OF THE TWO UNIVERSITIES FOR A COMBINED ENTRANCE EXAMINATION WHILE FORM V IS THE COMMONLY ACCEPTED TERMINAL POINT OF SECONDARY EDUCATION,

THOSE SELECTED FOR ENTRANCE TO THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG COULD BE GIVEN TWO FURTHER YEARS OF EDUCATION, WHILE THOSE FOR THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY COULD BE GIVEN ONE MORE YEAR, AND WITHOUT A FURTHER EXAMINATION, THEY AND THEIR TEACHERS WILL BE ABLE TO DEVOTE THEIR TIME TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF INTELLECTUAL FACULTIES AND CAPABILITIES.

ON THE EXPANSION OF SECONDARY EDUCATION, MR. CHEN STRESSED THAT THERE SHOULD BE NO COMPROMISE IN QUALITY MERELY BECAUSE TARGET FIGURES HAVE TO BE REACHED BY A CERTAIN COMMITTED DATE.

HE SUGGESTED THAT INSTEAD OF BUILDING MANY MORE GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS, PRIORITY SHOULD BE GIVEN TO MAXIMISING THE EXPANSION OF AIDED SCHOOLS.

HE POINTED OUT THAT THE IR QUALITY OF EDUCATION AND OPERATION EFFICIENCY HAVE LONG BEEN PROVED AND GIVEN THE NECESSARY ENCOURAGEMENT AND SUPPORT, THEY WOULD LIKELY RESPOND TO CATERING FOR THE ADDITIONAL NEEDS. THE GOVERNMENT WOULD THEN CONCENTRATE ON SUPERVISION AND INSPECTION OF SCHOOLS TO ENSURE THAT STANDARDS ARE ACCEPTABLE.

MR. CHEN FELT THAT IN OUR SECONDARY EDUCATION THERE SHOULD BE MORE EFFORT TO INCULCATE THE UNDERSTANDING THAT NOT ONLY ARE WE LIVING IN A HIGHLY COMPETITIVE INDUSTRIAL SOCIETY, WE ALSO RELY ON INDUSTRY TO CREATE THE WEALTH UPON WHICH OUR EDUCATION AND SOCIAL SERVICES DEPEND, LEADING STUDENTS TO TAKE AN INTEREST IN AN INDUSTRIAL CAREER.

/HE ASKED