XN000022-1979-06-09 — Page 2

SATURDAY, JUNE 9, 1979

SCHEME TO ENHANCE THE TRAINING OF STUDENT-TEACHERS

****

THE SIR ROBERT BLACK COLLEGE OF EDUCATION HAS INITIATED IN THE CURRENT ACADEMIC YEAR A SCHOOL ATTACHMENT SCHEME TO ENHANCE THE TRAINING OF STUDENT-TEACHERS, MR. T.C. LEE, PRINCIPAL EDUCATION OFFICER, KOWLOON, SAID TODAY (SATURDAY).

UNDER THE SCHEME, HE SAID, FIRST YEAR STUDENT-TEACHERS WOULD BE ATTACHED ONE DAY A WEEK IN THE FIRST TERM IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS USING THE TRADITIONAL METHOD OF TEACHING, AND IN THE SECOND TERM TO JUNIOR ENGLISH SCHOOLS AND PRIMARY SCHOOLS WHERE THE ACTIVITY APPROACH IS ADOPTED.

MR. LEE WAS SPEAKING AT A SEMINAR ON THE ROLE OF SCHOOLS IN THE CONTINUİNG DEVELOPMENT OF THE TEACHING PROFESSION+ HELD AT THE SIR ROBERT BLACK COLLEGE OF EDUCATION.

HE SAID THE CONTINUING DEVELOPMENT OF A PROFESSION DEPENDED VERY MUCH ON THE QUALITY OF PROFESSIONAL TRAINING PROVIDED FOR ITS PROSPECTIVE ENTRANTS.

+THE SCHOOL ATTACHMENT SCHEME PROVIDES A MORE GRADUAL AND SYSTEMATIC GUIDED INTRODUCTION TO TEACHING PRACTICE AND PRODUCES MORE COMMITTED AND SKILFUL APPRENTICES FOR THE TEACHING PROFESSION,+ MR. LEE SAID.

IN THE FIRST TRIAL OF THIS SCHEME, 40 PRIMARY SCHOOLS AND SEVEN JUNIOR ENGLISH SCHOOLS WERE INVOLVED.

THE STUDENT-TEACHERS WERE ATTACHED TO THE TRADITIONAL TYPES OF PRIMARY SCHOOLS FOR SEVEN WEEKS, AND TO THE JUNIOR ENGLISH SCHOOLS AND THOSE ADOPTING THE ACTIVITY APPROACH FOR EIGHT WEEKS.

DURING THE ATTACHMENT PERIOD STUDENT-TEACHERS WERE PLACED UNDER THE CHARGE OF TEACHER-TUTORS WHO ASSUMED THE ROLES OF SUPERVISOR AND ADVISER.

MR. LEE NOTED THAT THE SCHEME PROVIDED OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE STUDENTS TO OBSERVE OR TO TRY OUT RIGHT AWAY THE THEORY THAT THEY HAD JUST LEARNED, OPERATING IN ACTUAL CLASSROOM SITUATIONS.

+THUS AGAIN THE SCHOOLS IN PROVIDING EARLY EXPOSURE OF SCHOOL EXPERIENCE TO FUTURE TEACHERS, BY PARTICIPATING IN THE ONE-DAY-A-WEEK SCHOOL ATTACHMENT SCHÉME, ENSURE THAT THE PROFESSION ENLISTS ONLY THOSE WHO ARE WITH THE DESIRABLE APTITUDE AND POTENTIALS, + HE SAID,

ACCORDING TO A SURVEY OF STUDENTS' OPINION FOLLOWING THE ATTACHMENT PERIOD, IT WAS FOUND THAT MOST STUDENT-TEACHERS WERE HICHLY APPRECIATIVE OF THE SCHEME, MR. LEE SAID.

FINALLY, HE COMMENDED THE SCHOOL HEADS AND TEACHERS WHO HAD PARTICIPATED" IN THE SCHEME FOR HAVING PLAYED AN ACTIVE ROLE IN THE CONTINUING DEVELOPMENT OF THE TEACHING PROFESSION.

/2