XN000022-1978-11-25 — Page 2

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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1978

CREDIT-UNIT STUDY PROGRAMMES

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THE INTRODUCTION OF CREDIT-UNIT STUDY PROGRAMMES, SOME OF WHICH HAVE BEEN PROVISIONALLY RECOGNISED BY THE TECHNICIAN EDUCATION COUNCIL (TEC) IN BRITAIN, IS AN IMPORTANT MILESTONE IN HONG KONG'S TECHNICAL EDUCATION IN THE 1970'S, THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION (TECHNICAL), MR. DANIEL WATERS SAID TODAY (SATURDAY).

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MR. WATERS WAS SPEAKING AT THE OPENING OF THE STUDY CONFERENCE ON THE PLANNING OF TECHNICIAN STUDY PROGRAMMES AT CERTIFICATE/ DIPLOMA LEVEL AT THE TECHNICAL TEACHERS' COLLEGE IN QUEEN'S ROAD EAST.

THE CONFERENCE WILL BE HELD ON DIVERSE DATES BETWEEN NOW AND DECEMBER 12.

IT WILL BE ATTENDED BY OVER 60 TECHNICAL TEACHERS FROM THE FIVE TECHNICAL INSTITUTES HAKING WONG, MORRISON HILL, KWAI CHUNG, KWUN TONG AND LEE WAI LEE.

THE PROGRAMME COMPRISES SELF-CONTAINED STUDY UNITS WHICH CAN BE SEPARATELY ASSESSED AND, IF THE PROGRAMME IS SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED, IT WILL COUNT FOR A CREDIT TOWARDS A STUDENT'S AWARD.

MR. WATERS SAID ALTHOUGH THE SYSTEM WAS NOT YET FULLY UNDER WAY IN HONG KONG, IT WAS INTENDED THAT ANY SECONDARY SCHOOL LEAVER WHO HAD COMPLETED UNITS IN HIS PREVIOUS SCHOOL AND HAD BEEN AWARDED FULL CREDITS WOULD BE GIVEN EXEMPTIONS FOR THESE SUBJECTS WHEN HE ENROLLED FOR A RECOGNISED COURSE IN A TECHNICAL INSTITUTE.

+ONE NEW ASPECT OF THE TEC SYSTEM IS THAT THE MAJORITY OF STUDY PROGRAMMES ARE CONSTRUCTED IN LEARNING UNITS WHICH CAN BE ASSEMBLED IN VARIOUS COMBINATIONS AND PACKAGES TO GIVE TO STUDENTS PRECISELY THE KNOWLEDGE NEEDED FOR A CHOSEN CAREER.

+THIS GIVES THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO PROGRESS BEYOND THEIR INITIAL OBJECTIVE, SAY, FROM CERTIFICATE TO DIPLOMA BY SIMPLY TAKING ADDITIONAL ́UNITS WHENEVER IT SUITS THEM,+ MR. WATERS SAID.

HE ADDED THAT THESE TEC AWARDS COULD PROVE VALUABLE STEPPING STONES FOR STUDENTS WISHING TO GO FURTHER.

ALSO, TEC CERTIFICATES AND DIPLOMAS ARE ACCEPTABLE TO BRITISH UNIVERSITIES AND POLYTECHNICS FOR ADMISSION OR TRANSFER TO DEGREES AND OTHER HIGHER EDUCATION WORK. THE TECHNICAL INSTITUTES IN HONG KONG ALREADY HAVE SUCH ARRANGEMENTS WITH THE POLYTECHNIC,

THE TEC HAS PROVISIONALLY RECOGNISED THE TECHNICAL INSTITUTES CERTIFICATE AND DIPLOMA PROGRAMMES IN BUILDING STUDIES AND IN CIVIL ENGINEERING STUDIES,

+WE ARE PLANNING TO SEEK RECOGNITION OF MORE TECHNICIAN PROGRAMMES FROM THE COUNCIL FOR SEPTEMBER, 1979, MR. WATERS SAID.

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