XN000022-1982-03-24 — Page 14

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 24, 198:

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ALTHOUGH IT IS ANTICIPATED THAT IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS THERE WILL BE A GROWTH RATE OF SOME FOUR PER CENT PER ANNUM IN RESPECT OF THE EXISTING UNIVERSITIES, AND THAT DEGREE COURSES WILL BE INTRODUCED IN THE POLYTECHNIC AND THE BAPTIST COLLEGE, MR WONG SAID THEY WOULD NOT BE ADEQUATE TO CATER FOR THE LONG-TERM NEEDS OF HONG KONG, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE FACT THAT THERE IS A LIMIT TO WHICH THE EXISTING UNIVERSITIES MAY BE EXPANDED.

+GOVERNMENT ITSELF IS IN THE PROCESS OF DE-CENTRALIZATION, → HE NOTED. TO BE CONSISTENT, THE POLICY FOR HIGHER EDUCATION SHOULD

BE AGAINST FEDERALIZATION. +

HE ARGUED THAT THERE IS A STRONG CASE FOR A THIRD UNIVERSITY TO COPE WITH THE INCREASING DEMAND FOR HIGHER EDUCATION,

+SURELY, THE KEY TO OUR FUTURE SUCCESS RESTS HEAVILY ON THE ADEQUATE SUPPLY OF ABLE AND SUITABLY QUALIFIED GRADUATES.

+ IT WOULD BE IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST, AND INDEED IN GOVERNMENT'S OWN INTEREST, TO GIVE THIS MATTER THE HIGHEST PRIORITY,

HE SAID.

JUNIOR SECONDARY EDUCATION REVIEW URGED

****

THERE IS A PRESSING NEED FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF THE THREE-YEAR JUNIOR SECONDARY EDUCATION FORM I TO FORM - IN HONG KONG, THE HON WONG LAM SAID.

AND IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD CONDUCT A DETAILED REVIEW ON THE SUBJECT AND MAKE IMPROVEMENTS ACCORDINGLY, HE TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

MR WONG NOTED THAT THE EXISTING SECONDARY SCHOOL PLACES ALLOCATION SYSTEM HAS THROWN THE JUNIOR SECONDARY EDUCATION INTO CONFUSION.

UNDER THE SYSTEM, STUDENTS OF VARYING STANDARDS ARE PUT IN THE SAME CLASS, THUS MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR TEACHERS TO TEACH ACCORDING TO THE STANDARD OF THE CLASS.

AS SUCH, THE QUALITY OF JUNIOR SECONDARY EDUCATION IN MANY SCHOOLS IS NOT AT ALL SATISFACTORY.

+AT THE SAME TIME, WITH THE JUNIOR SECONDARY EDUCATION ASSESSMENT LOOMING LARGE OVER THE HORIZON, JUNIOR SECONDARY EDUCATION EASILY BECOMES EXAMINATION-ORIENTED, HE SAID.

MR WONG SAID THAT JUDGING FROM THE PRESENT SITUATION, IT IS CLEAR THAT THE MORE WE DRAG OUR FEET IN IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION, THE MORE DEEP-ROOTED WILL THE PROBLEMS BECOME+.

+THEREFORE, HE ADDED, THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD NOT OVERLOOK THE URGENCY OF THIS PROBLEM SIMPLY BECAUSE THE MALADIES HAVE NOT YET SURFACED.

/+I DO NOT