XN000022-1978-08-14 — Page 7

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MONDAY, AUGUST 14, 1978

THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT, FROM TOMORROW (TUESDAY), THE AREAS WOULD BE DIVIDED INTO EVEN SMALLER DISTRICTS.

+THE MAIN AIM OF THE RE-DEMARCATION OF THE DISTRICT BOUNDARIES IS TO MAKE THE NUMBER OF SCHOOLS IN EACH DISTRICT AS SMALL AS POSSIBLE, THUS PAVING THE WAY FOR IMPROVED LIAISON BETWEEN THE DISTRICT EDUCATION OFFICER AND THE SCHOOLS IN HIS OR HER DISTRICT,+ HE SAID.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT THE ONLY SCHOOLS EXEMPTED FROM REGIONAL ADMINISTRATION WOULD BE GOVERNMENT SECONDARY SCHOOLS, JUNIOR ENGLISH SCHOOLS AND THOSE RUN BY THE ENGLISH SCHOOLS FOUNDATION, PREVOCATIONAL SCHOOLS AND SPECIAL SCHOOLS.

+THE KEY FIGURE IN THE REGIONAL SYSTEM WILL CONTINUE TO BE

THE DISTRICT EDUCATION OFFICER, HE SAID.

+IT IS TO THIS OFFICER THAT SUPERVISORS AND HEADS SHOULD TURN, REGARDLESS OF THE LEVEL OF THE SCHOOL, THE NATURE OF ITS CURRICULUM OR ITS MODE OF FINANCING.

+DISTRICT EDUCATION OFFICERS WILL BE AVAILABLE TO MAKE SCHOOL VISITS AND TO DISCUSS ANY MATTER.+

THE SPOKESMAN STRESSED THAT, FROM NOW ON, SCHOOL CORRESPONDENCE SHOULD BE ADDRESSED TO DISTRICT EDUCATION OFFICERS IN AREA OFFICES INSTEAD OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT HEADQUARTERS.

+THE ONLY EXCEPTION WOULD BE MATTERS CONCERNED WITH ACCOUNTING OR REGISTRATION, WHICH SHOULD CONTINUE TO BE REFERRED TO HEADQUARTERS, HE SAID.

THE SPOKESMAN NOTED THAT THE REDEFINED EDUCATIONAL DISTRICTS WERE NOT THE SAME AS THE SCHOOL NETS USED IN THE SECONDARY SCHOOL PLACES ALLOCATION SYSTEM BECAUSE THE NETS WOULD HAVE TO BE ADJUSTED ANNUALLY TO MAINTAIN A PROPER BALANCE OF PLACES.

+THE PRESENT DISTRICT COUNCIL SECRETARIES WILL THEREFORE CONTINUE TO SERVE INDIVIDUAL SCHOOL NETS DURING THE ALLOCATION OF SECONDARY SCHOOL PLACES, HE SAID.

THE SUPERVISORS AND HEADS OF ALL SCHOOLS AFFECTED BY THE REDEFINED EDUCATIONAL DISTRICTS HAVE BEEN GIVEN FULL DETAILS OF THE NEW CHANGE IN A SPECIAL CIRCULAR ISSUED BY THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT.

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