XN000022-1981-04-22 — Page 7

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 1981

6

(11) THE PRESENT RANDOM ELEMENT IN ALLOCATION SHOULD BE AVOIDED

IF POSSIBLE- AND

(HI) FURTHER RESEARCH SHOULD BE CONDUCTED INTO THE BEST METHOD

OF ALLOCATION.

MR HAYE STRESSED THAT NO FINAL DECISIONS WILL BE TAKEN UNTIL DUE CONSIDERATION HAS BEEN GIVEN TO PUBLIC COMMENTS.

SELECTION SYSTEMS AIM TO MINIMISE PRESSURE ON STUDENTS

*****

THE PRESENT SELECTION SYSTEMS FOR SECONDARY SCHOOL PLACES HAVE BEEN DESIGNED TO GIVE EQUAL OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL STUDENTS WITH THE MINIMUM EXAMINATION PRESSURE, MR ARTHUR BROWN, SENIOR ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION (PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT) SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

SPEAKING AT A LUNCHEON MEETING OF THE VICTORIA LIONS CLUB MR BROWN REVIEWED CHANGES IN HONG KONG'S EDUCATION SYSTEM, ESPECIALLY IN THE ALLOCATION OF FREE AND COMPULSORY FORM 1 AND SUBS IDISED FORM 4 PLACES.

WITH THE SCALING TEST IN THE SECONDARY SCHOOL PLACES ALLOCATION SYSTEM A CHILD'S FATE WAS NOT DECIDED IN ONE DAY, AND IT DID NOT MATTER EVEN IF HE MISSED THE TEST ENTIRELY, HE SAID.

WHAT WAS NOW MORE VITAL WAS THE STUDENT'S PERFORMANCE IN PRIMARY 5 AND 6 ON WHICH THE INTERNAL ASSESSMENT WAS BASED, AND A CHILD MUST WORK HARD AT ALL SUBJECTS.

+THIS HAS CERTAINLY INCREASED INTEREST IN SUBJECTS LIKE SCIENCE AND SOCIAL STUDIES, MR BROWN SAID.

ANOTHER STEP TAKEN TO REDUCE THE PRESSURE ON SECONDARY SCHOOL PLACES ALLOCATION WAS THE INTRODUCTION OF THE JUNIOR SECONDARY EDUCATION ASSESSMENT (SEA) SYSTEM, HE SAID.

WITHOUT THE JSEA, THE SOLUTION MIGHT BE TO KEEP AS MANY FORM 3 GRADUATES AS POSSIBLE IN THEIR OWN SECONDARY SCHOOLS DEPENDING ON THE NUMBER OF AVAILABLE FORMS 4 AND 5 PLACES.

THIS WILL MEAN PRIMARY 6 GRADUATES WOULD SCRAMBLE TO ENROL IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS WITH THE MOST NUMBER OF SENIOR SECONDARY PLACES, THUS PUTTING ADDITIONAL PRESSURE ON SELECTION AT AN EARLIER LEVEL.

+MANY PEOPLE ARE PRESSING FOR THE ABOLITION OF THE JSEA WITHOUT FULLY REALISING THE ADDITIONAL PRESSURE IT WOULD PUT ON PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN, MR BROWN SAID.

17