XN000022-1978-08-02 — Page 17

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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 2, 1978

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3. TOPLEY SAID ALTHOUGH THE GREEN PAPER DID NOT PROPOSE ANY MAJCI CHANGE IN THE ROLE OF TECHNICAL INSTITUTES, THEY WOULD BE EXPANDED TO MEET DEMAND AND A CREDIT UNIT SYSTEM WOULD BE INTRODUCED TO FACILITATE GREATER MOBILITY FROM COURSE TO COURSE AND TO ALLOW PROGRESSION TO THE POLYTECHNIC. THE MAIN EMPHASIS

IN THE INSTITUTES WOULD CONTINUE TO BE ON THE PROVISION OF PART-TIME DAY RELEASE CRAFT COURSES WITH A LESSER PROVISION OF TECHNICIAN COURSES.

+THIS IS VERY MUCH IN LINE WITH THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE HONG KONG TRAINING COUNCIL, HE SAID. +THROUGH THE PART-TIME DAY RELEASE MODE OF TECHNICAL EDUCATION - WHICH IS MORE COMPREHENSIVE THAN THE EVENING MODE - STUDENTS ARE BETTER ABLE TO RELATE THE IR FORMAL TRAINING TO THE IR ACTUAL TASKS AT WORK.

+BUT IT WOULD APPEAR THAT THE AD HOC GROUP WOULD PREFER TO SEE GREATER EMPHASIS ON FULL-TIME AND EVENING CLASS COURSES, AND AN EVALUATION OF THE WHOLE SYSTEM HAS BEEN RECOMMENDED.

+ I THINK THIS SUGGESTION SHOULD BE TAKEN UP, BUT I WOULD REMIND MEMBERS OF THE VIEWS OF THE HONG KONG TRAINING COUNCIL. I MUST ALSO POINT OUT THAT PART-TIME DAY-RELEASE PLACES MAKE UP ONLY ABOUT 30 PER CENT OF THE WHOLE AND THAT THESE COURSES ALREADY REQUIRE ATTENDANCE TWO EVENINGS A WEEK. THE GREEN PAPER HAS, IN FACT, PROPOSED A CONSIDERABLE INCREASE IN EVENING-ONLY COURSES.+

MR. TOPLEY SAID HE WAS PUZZLED BY THE SUGGESTION THAT THERE SHOULD BE CENTRAL WORKSHOPS FOR THE TECHNICAL INSTITUTES.

+ALL OUR INSTITUTES ARE ALREADY WELL EQUIPPED TO PROVIDE TRAINING IN THE FIELDS IN WHICH THEY OFFER COURSES,+ HE SAID.

+ THE COST OF EQUIPPING A TECHNICAL INSTITUTE IS IN THE REGION OF $10 MILLION. WE MUST ALSO REMEMBER THAT INDUSTRIAL TRAINING IS ALSO PROVIDED WITHIN INDUSTRY ITSELF.

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+TWO INDUSTRIES HAVE ALREADY SET UP WELL-ORGANISED INDUSTRIAL TRAINING CENTRES AND OTHERS ARE PLANNED. I SUGGEST THAT THIS IS HOW WE SHOULD PROCEED, NOT WITH CENTRAL WORKSHOPS.+

MR. TOPLEY SAID THE AD HOC GROUP ALSO BELIEVED THE LEVEL OF TEACHING IN THE INSTITUTES WAS TOO LOW AND THAT MORE HIGHLY- QUALIFIED STAFF SHOULD BE EMPLOYED.

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+ TAKE IT THAT THIS IS NOT MEANT TO BE A CRITICISM OF THE PRESENT STAFF OR OF THE IR PERFORMANCE, HE SAID. +RATHER IT IS A STATEMENT OF THE AD HOC GROUP'S BELIEF THAT EMPHASIS IN THE INSTITUTES SHOULD BE CHANGED FROM CRAFT TO TECHNICIAN LEVEL.

THIS

+MR. ALEX WU WOULD, I BELIEVE, WISH TO GO EVEN FURTHER AND INJECT A GREATER DEGREE OF LIBERAL STUDIES INTO THE COURSES. CHANGE IS, OF COURSE, FEASIBLE.

+BEFORE WE DECIDE ON SUCH CHANGES, WE SHOULD BE VERY CLEAR IN OUR MINDS WHAT NEW TARGETS WE ARE AIMING AT. THE NEEDS WE INTEND TO MEET SHOULD BE AS REAL AND AT LEAST AS IMPORTANT AS THE ONES WE ARE NOW MEETING.

+I SHOULD NOT LIKE .............