XN000022-1981-11-26 — Page 2

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 1981

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BIG BOOST FOR PRE-VOCATIONAL SCHOOLS

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PRE-VOCATIONAL EDUCATION IS RAPIDLY GAINING IN POPULARITY AND THIS YEAR THERE WERE OVER 13 000 APPLICATIONS FROM PRIMARY SCHOOL LEAVERS FOR SOME 2 9300 PLACES IN PRE-VOCATIONAL SCHOOLS, MR COLVYN HAYE, IRECTOR OF EDUCATION SAID TODAY (THURSDAY).

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SPEAKING AT THE SCHOLARSHIPS PRESENTATION CEREMONY OF THE CHINESE MANUFACTURERS' ASSOCIATION, MR HAYE SAID THE GREAT ATTRACTION OF PRE-VOCATIONAL SCHOOLS IS THE IR PRACTICALLY-BIASED EDUCATION WHICH PROVIDES STUDENTS WITH A WIDE RANGE OF OPPORTUNITIES BOTH FOR JOES AND FOR FURTHER EDUCATION AFTER LEAVING SCHOOL.

+ IN 1973 WE HAD ONE SUCH SCHOOL BY THE MIDDLE OF THIS DECADE WE SHALL HAVE 24 IN OPERATION AND MORE STILL ON THE DRAWING BOARDS, HE SAID.

A PROPORTION OF SENIOR SECONDARY CLASSES HAVE ALSO BEEN INTRODUCED INTO PRE-VOCATIONAL SCHOOLS FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS YEAR SO THAT CAPABLE STUDENTS WILL HAVE THE CHANCE OF CONTINUING THE IR EDUCATION TO CERTIFICATE OF EDUCATION LEVEL.

+THIS WILL OPEN UP AVENUES FOR FURTHER EDUCATION IN A TECHNICAL INSTITUTE OR THE POLYTECHNIC,+ MR HAYE SAID.

HE COMMENDED THE CMA FOR ITS ENCOURAGEMENT AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT TOWARDS THE DEVELOPMENT OF TECHNICAL EDUCATION.

APART FROM THE ESTABLISHMENT OF ITS FIRST PRE-VOCATIONAL SCHOOL IN 1976, THE CMA IS NOW WORKING WITH THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT TO BUILD A SECOND SCHOOL IN TUEN MUN AT A COST OF $20 MILLION, AND DUE FOR COMPLETION IN 1983.

+THE STRONG PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN GOVERNMENT AND THE PRIVATE SECTOR IS ONE OF THE UNIQUE FEATURES OF OUR EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM AND THE SUPPORT WHICH TECHNICAL EDUCATION RECEIVES BY WAY OF DONATIONS IS QUITE REMARKABLE,+ MR HAYE SAID.

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