XN000022-1982-02-10 — Page 6

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1982

SHE URGED THE GOVERNMENT TO ALSO RATIONALISE TEACHER TRAINING AT THE NON-GRADUATE LEVEL WITHIN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS SINCE +THE CHANGES TO THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT'S TECHNICAL EDUCATION DIVISION WILL FURTHER ISOLATE THE HONG KONG TECHNICAL TEACHERS' COLLEGE+.

+WE NEED TO UNIFY THE FOUR COLLEGES AT PRESENT RESPONSIBLE FOR TEACHING TRAINING,+ SAID MISS BENNETT. THIS WILL GREATLY IMPROVE OUR EFFICIENCY IN THIS SPHERE, TOO.+

APART FROM WASTING A GREAT DEAL OF MONEY IN THIS RESPECT AT THE MOMENT, SHE SAID, WE ARE FRUSTRATING THE AMBITIONS OF OUR YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ARE DESIROUS OF TEACHING SUBJECTS LEARNT AT THE TECHNICAL TEACHERS' COLLEGE AND ONE OF THE OTHERS.

+I CAN INSTANCE THOSE WISHING TO TEACH ACCOUNTS AND

BOOKKEEPING - THE COURSES FOR WHICH ARE NOW AVAILABLE AT THE TECHNICAL TEACHERS' COLLEGE - AND IN ADDITION DRESSMAKING FOR WHICH THE STUDENTS HAVE TO STUDY AT SIR ROBERT BLACK COLLEGE OF EDUCATION,+ SHE ADDED.

THE HON S.L. CHEN DID NOT CONSIDER THAT A NEW GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT SHOULD BE ESTABLISHED AND PLACED UNDER THE COUNCIL BECAUSE I

*

IT MEANS SUBSTANTIAL ADDITIONAL EXPENDITURE=

* A NEW GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT WOULD BE UNDER THE SAME

CONSTRAINTS AS ALL GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS AND WOULD NOT CONTRIBUTE ANYTHING TOWARDS ENHANCING THE FLEXIBILITY IN THE WAY THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON DIVERSIFICATION HAD IN MIND= AND

* THE COUNCIL WHICH IS EMPOWERED TO EMPLOY AND REMUNERATE ITS

OWN STAFF, WILL HAVE UNDER ITS CONTROL A MIXTURE OF CIVIL SERVANT AND NON-CIVIL SERVANT STAFF.

+THE LONGER-TERM OBJECTIVE MUST BE FOR THE VOCATIONAL TRAINING COUNCIL AND ITS EXECUTIVE SECRETARIAT TO BECOME WHOLLY DETACHED FROM GOVERNMENT AND FUNCTION ALONG THE LINES OF THE POLYTECHNIC COUNCIL AND THE POLYTECHNIC, HE SAID.

+FOR FEW WILL DENY THAT THE POLYTECHNIC WAS ABLE TO ACHIEVE ITS FLEXIBILITY ONLY AFTER IT WAS DETACHED FROM GOVERNMENT.+

AS AN INTERIM ARRANGEMENT, MR CHEN SUGGESTED THAT THE SECRETARIAT OF THE NEW COUNCIL MIGHT BE CONSTITUTED PARTLY BY STAFF FROM THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT AND PARTLY FROM THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT.

+RATHER THAN FORMING A NEW DEPARTMENT, SUCH STAFF CAN REMAIN ADMINISTRATIVELY IN THESE DEPARTMENTS BUT FUNCTIONALLY THEY WILL WORK TO AND BE UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE VOCATIONAL TRAINING COUNCIL IN THE SAME WAY THAT THE UMELCO OFFICE IS BOTH THE SECRETARIAT AND EXECUTIVE ARM OF THE UMELCO,+ HE SAID.

THE HON WONG LAM SAID THE VOCATIONAL TRAINING COUNCIL, SHOULD PAY MORE ATTENTION TO COURSES OF SHORTER DURATION.

HE POINTED OUT THAT MOST EXISTING VOCATIONAL TRAINING PROGRAMMES PLACE EMPHASIS ON RELATIVELY LONG AND SOPHISTICATED COURSES.

/ALTHOUGH THIS