XN000022-1978-08-02 — Page 11

9.

-

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 2, 1978

IE AD HOC GROUP HAS EXPRESSED SATISFACTION THAT THERE

WILL HUT BE A PUBLIC EXAMINATION AT THE END OF FORM 9 BUT, ALTHOUGH ACCEPTING THE NEED FOR SOME SYSTEM OF ALLOCATION, ARE AFRAID THAT THE APTITUDE TESTS IN CHINESE, ENGLISH AND MATHEMATICS WILL LEAD TO DISTORTION OF THE CURRICULUM AND DEFEAT THE PURPOSE OF GENERAL EDUCATION.

+THESE DANGERS WERE FULLY REALISED AND THOROUGHLY DISCUSSED BY THE WORKING PARTY WHICH PRODUCED THE REPORT ON WHICH THE NEW SYSTEM IS BASED.

+NO ONE INVOLVED IN EDUCATION AND FAMILIAR WITH THE SECONDARY SCHOOLS ENTRANCE EXAMINATION COULD FAIL TO KNOW THESE DANGERS, IN FACT, THE DECISION TO LIMIT THE TESTS TO CHINESE ENGLISH AND MATHEMATICS WAS MADE IN THE BELIEF THAT THIS WOULD BE THE BEST WAY TO AVOID DISTORTION OF THE CURRICULUM.

+IN MOST OTHER SUBJECTS THE CONTENT IS LESS IMPORTANT THAN THE METHODS OF STUDY, THE STUDY SKILLS AND ATTITUDES FOSTERED AND THE INTEREST AROUSED. PUBLIC TESTS, HOWEVER WELL CONSTRUCTED, INEVITABLY INTRODUCE RIGIDITY INTO THE COURSE AND PRESSURE TO PERFORM WELL. THE EFFECT, THEREFORE, OF INTRODUCING TESTS FOR ALL SUBJECTS WOULD BE TO DESTROY THE SPIRIT OF THE NEW JUNIOR SECONDARY CURRICULUM. THE MAIN AIM IN THE TEACHING OF CHINESE, ENGLISH AND MATHEMATICS IS TO MAKE POSSIBLE THE USE OF THESE SKILLS IMPARTED, PROVIDED THE PUBLIC TESTS CONCENTRATE ON THE USE OF THESE TOOLS, THEY WILL ENCOURAGE PROPER LEARNING.

+THE JUNIOR SECONDARY CURRICULUM IS THE PLATFORM FOR STUDY IN FORM 4 AND 5. NO SENSIBLE SCHOOL WILL SO DISTORT ITS TEACHING THAT IT FAILS TO PROVIDE ITS PUPILS WITH THIS NECESSARY BASIS FOR THE SENIOR SECONDARY COURSE.

+I REALISE, HOWEVER, THAT THE NEW SYSTEM WILL HAVE TO BE CAREFULLY MONITORED AND, IN TIME, REVIEWED.

IN TIME, REVIEWED. IT IS MY INTENTION TO PROVIDE FOR THIS MONITORING BY INCREASING THE RESEARCH CAPABILITY WITH THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT. TO BE EFFECTIVE, WE MUST BEGIN OUR MONITORING PROGRAMME IMMEDIATELY. WITHOUT

PHOTOGRAPH' TAKEN OF THE SITUATION IN OUR FORM 1 TO 3 TEACHING NOW, HOW CAN WE ASSESS THE EFFECT OF THE NEW SYSTEM? THIS RESEARCH WILL BECOME A JOINT FUNCTION OF MY ADVISORY INSPECTORATE AND THE EDUCATION RESEARCH ESTABLISHMENT AND WILL REQUIRE THE ALLOCATION OF ADDITIONAL RESOURCES TO THESE SECTIONS.

A

+ANOTHER MAIN ISSUE RAISED BY THE AD HOC GROUP AND FURTHER STRESSED BY INDIVIDUAL SPEAKERS IS THAT OF UNIFORMITY OF STANDARDS IN OUR PROVISION OF PUBLIC SECTOR PLACES,

+SPECIFIC POINTS MENTIONED WERE THE NEED TO BRING THE CAPUT SCHOOLS ON TO FULL AID, REDUCING RELIANCE ON BOUGHT PLACES IN THE PRIVATE INDEPENDENT SECTOR AND GREATER CONTROL OF THAT SECTOR.

→THE LAST TWO POINTS ARE ALREADY CATERED FOR IN PRESENT PROPOSALS, WHICH I CANNOT SEE BEING ALTERED IN THE WHITE PAPER.

/+BY THESE,