XN000022-1978-08-02 — Page 8

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 2, 1978

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́T THE OTHER END OF THE SPECTRUM IS THE BELIEF THAT UNLESB. PROVISION OF PLACES AT THE VARIOUS LEVELS OF OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM IS GEARED TO MANPOWER NEEDS, SERIOUS SOCIAL PROBLEMS WILL ARISE FROM THE INABILITY OF THE ĐÒMMUNITY TO MATCH EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES WITH EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT.

+THE PROVISION RATES AT THE VARIOUS LEVELS FORM 4. FORM 6 AND TERTIARY -- PROPOSED IN THE GREEN PAPER RECOGNISED MANPOWER NEEDS BUT TRIED TO MAKE SUFFICIENT PROVISION TO MEET THE DEMAND FROM THOSE ESTIMATED TO BE ABLE TO BENEFIT FROM THE COURSES OFFERED.

+MOST OF THE MEMBERS OF THE AD HOC GROUP APPEAR TO HAVE ACCEPTED THE GREEN PAPER APPROACH. AT LEAST THEY ACCEPT IT AS REASONABLE PROVIDED IT CAN BE REVIEWED IN THE LIGHT OF EXPERIENCE AND WITH THEIR PROVI30. THAT UNIVERSAL SENIOR SECONDARY. EDUCATION UP TO FORM 5 SHOULD BE OUR LONG-TERM AIM.

•THE VIEW HAS BEEN EXPRESSED BY MR. FRANCIS TIEN AND MR. S.L. CHEN THAT TOO LARGE A PROVISION OF SENIOR SECONDARY PLACES WILL SERIOUSLY DISRUPT THE MANPOWER SUPPLY TO INDUSTRY AT THE CRAFT AND OPERATIVE LEVELS.

+THIS IS A SITUATION WHICH WILL REQUIRE CAREFUL WATCHING, BUT, AS MR. Q.W. LEE HAS POINTED OUT. IF SENIOR SECONDARY EDUCATION CONTINUES TO AFFECT EARNING POWER, PUBLIC PRESSURE FOR IT WILL CONTINUE.

+IF THIS PRESSURE IS NOT CATERED FOR IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR, THE PUBLIC WILL TURN TO THE PRIVATE SECTOR. THE SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM, THEREFORE, LIES NOT ONLY WITH THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR EDUCATIONAL PROVISION, BUT WITH THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE AND WITH INDUSTRY IN PARTICULAR.

+THE LOGIC OF THE SITUATION IS THAT EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING IN INDUSTRY WILL HAVE TO BECOME MORE ATTRACTIVE IN REWARDS AND IN CONDITIONS OF WORK. ANOTHER WAY OF ENCOURAGING AN ADEQUATE FLOW OF YOUNG PEOPLE INTO THE CRAFT LEVELS OF INDUSTRY AND COMMERCE IS, AS MR. TIEN HAS PROPOSED, TO EXPAND THE PRE-VOCATIONAL STREAM,

+THIS POSSIBILITY, TOGETHER WITH WAYS OF MAINTAINING A HIGH QUALITY OF INTAKE" TO THE PRE-VOCATIONAL SCHOOLS, PERHAPS THROUGH A LIMITED INTRODUCTION OF SENIOR SECONDARY CLASSES IN THESE SCHOOLS, IS BEING SERIOUSLY CONSIDERED.

+HR. Q.M. LEE ALSO POSES THE QUESTION: WHAT KIND OF TRAINING SHOULD WE PLAN FOR OUR FUTURE MANPOWER?

+THE REQUIREMENTS OF TOMORROW ARE NOT EASY TO FORECAST WITH ANY CONFIDENCE. THIS, TOGETHER WITH THE EVER-INCREASING RAPIDITY OF CHANGE IN A TECHNOLOGICAL WORLD, WAS APPARENTLY FULLY APPRECIATED BY A NUMBER OF THE SPEAKERS AT THE SITTING

IN JULY.

+HENCE THE BELIEF