XN000022-1980-07-08 — Page 2

TUESDAY, JULY 8, 1980

12 MORE PREVOCATIONAL SCHOOLS TO BE ESTABLISHED

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TWELVE MORE PREVOCATIONAL SCHOOLS WILL BE ESTABLISHED FROM 1982 IN VIEW OF THE POPULARITY OF PREVOCATIONAL EDUCATION, THE ACTING DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION, MR BASIL BOARD, SAID TODAY (TUESDAY) AT THE GRADUATION CEREMONY OF THE COTTON SPINNERS ASSOCIATION PREVOCATIONAL SCHOOL IN THE TSUEN WAN TOWN HALL.

THE 12 SCHOOLS, TO BE BUILT MAINLY IN THE NEW TOWNS, WILL COST AN ESTIMATED $180 MILLION AT TODAY'S PRICES. ALL WILL HAVE MODERN PREMISES SPECIALLY DESIGNED FOR PREVOCATIONAL TEACHING.

MORE NEW SPECIAL SUBJECTS INCLUDING MARINE ENGINEERING, LIGHT ENGINEERING, MOULD MAKING AND HORTICULTURE WILL BE INTRODUCED IN LINE WITH THE GROWTH OF DIVERSIFIED INDUSTRY.

MR BOARD ALSO SAID A PROPORTION OF SENIOR SECONDARY FORMS WOULD BE INTRODUCED IN PREVOCATIONAL SCHOOLS AS FROM SEPTEMBER 1981.

*THIS WOULD ENABLE THE MORE CAPABLE PUPILS TO CONTINUE THEIR EDUCATION IN THEIR OWN OR OTHER PREVOCATIONAL SCHOOLS, AT LEAST UP TO THE CERTIFICATE OF EDUCATION EXAMINATION LEVEL- THEY MAY LATER PROCEED DIRECTLY TO TECHNICIAN PROGRAMMES IN THE POLYTECHNIC OR THE TECHNICAL INSTITUTES,+ HE SAID.

ALL PREVOCATIONAL SCHOOLS WILL ALSO TAKE PART IN THE JUNIOR SECONDARY ASSESSMENT SYSTEM TO BE INTRODUCED IN JANUARY 1981 FOR ALLOCATION OF SUBSIDISED FORM IV PLACES.

WITH THE EXTENSION TO SENIOR SECONDARY FORMS, A NEW SUBJECT +ENGINEERING SCIENCE+ WILL BE INTRODUCED IN PREVOCATIONAL SCHOOLS AND EXAMINABLE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE HONG KONG CERTIFICATE OF EDUCATION EXAMINATION IN MAY 1983.

+THE CONTENT-SYLLABUS OF THIS SUBJECT WILL BE SUBMITTED TO THE HONG KONG EXAMINATIONS AUTHORITY NEXT FEBRUARY, MR BOARD SAID.

ANOTHER MAJOR STEP, HE ADDED, WOULD BE THE INTRODUCTION OF GRADUATE TEACHERS IN SEPTEMBER TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF TEACHING.

TURNING TO GRADUATES, MR BOARD SAID THAT FOR THOSE NOT WISHING TO JOIN INDUSTRY AT THIS STAGE, THE TECHNICAL INSTITUTES OFFERED AN EXTRA AVENUE,

+THREE CLASSES OF ONE-YEAR FULL-TIME PRE-TECHNICAL COURSES SPECIALLY DESIGNED FOR PREVOCATIONAL GRADUATES WILL BE AVAILABLE

IN THE INSTITUTES IN SEPTEMBER 1980. IN ADDITION, THERE ARE OTHER ONE-YEAR FULL-TIME CRAFT COURSES WHICH YOU MAY FIND OF INTEREST,+ HE SAID.

TO THOSE LOOKING FOR EITHER LONG-TERM OR TEMPORARY EMPLOYMENT, MR BOARD SOUNDED A NOTE OF WARNING THAT SAFETY PRECAUTIONS MUST BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY AS SOME JOBS COULD BE DANGEROUS.

THE ACTING DEPUTY DIRECTOR ALSO SPOKE ON THE VITAL ROLE PLAYED BY SCHOOL MANAGERS AND MANAGEMENT COMMITTEES IN FORMULATING POLICIES FOR EACH SCHOOL AND HE WELCOMED THE RECENT ESTABLISHMENT OF THE PREVOCATIONAL SCHOOLS COUNCIL.

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