XN000022-1982-04-15 — Page 11

THURSDAY, APRIL 15, 1962

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AND THE COLLEGE AUTHORITIES FULLY ACKNOWLEDGED THE NEED FOR CERTAIN MEASURES TO BE TAKEN BEFORE HIGHER LEVEL COURSES WERE INTRODUCED, HE SAID.

+1 AM BOUND TO SAY THAT I BELIEVE THAT THE COLLEGE SHOULD EMBARK ON DEGREE COURSES ONLY AFTER ADEQUATE PREPARATION OF A SECURE BASIS FOR WORK AT THIS LEVEL.

+ IN PRACTICAL TERMS THIS WOULD MEAN THAT PERHAPS TWO OR THREE DEGREE COURSES COULD START IN FOUR YEARS OR SO FROM NOW.

+ BELIEVE THAT THE STAFF AND STUDENTS OF THE COLLEGE SHOULD LOOK TOWARDS THE FUTURE WITH HOPE BUT HOPE THAT IS FULLY REALISTIC.+

THESE DEVELOPMENTS WOULD FORM AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE EXPANSION PROGRAMME FOR HIGHER EDUCATION, HE SAID.

MR TOPLEY SAID THE REV THE HON JOYCE BENNETT QUITE RIGHTLY EMPHASISED THE IMPORTANCE THAT TEACHER TRAINING SHOULD ASSUME WITHIN THE EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT PLANS.

+THE IMPORTANCE OF EFFECTIVE PRE-SERVICE AND IN-SERVICE TRAINING PROGRAMMES WAS BROUGHT HOME TO US FORCIBLY BY THE DISTINGUISHED TEAM OF EDUCATORS FROM OVERSEAS IN THE VERY USEFUL DISCUSSION ON EDUCATIONAL PRIORITIES THAT TOOK PLACE IN THIS CHAMBER AT THE END OF LAST MONTH.

+WE DO NEED TO REVIEW OUR TEACHER TRAINING PROGRAMMES VERY CAREFULLY, THOUGH AS THE COLLEGES OF EDUCATION ARE CURRENTLY OPERATING UNDER GREAT STRAIN IN PROVIDING THE ADDITIONAL TEACHERS NEEDED TO IMPROVE STAFFING STANDARDS IN SCHOOLS, THE PRESENT MAY NOT BE THE BEST TIME FOR ANY RADICAL UPHEAVAL TO TAKE PLACE, HE SAID.

MR TOPLEY SAID HE EXPECTED TO RECEIVE THE COMPLETED REPORT OF THE PANEL OF VISITORS BEFORE THE END OF THIS YEAR AND THE CHANGES REQUIRED IN TEACHER TRAINING APPEARED LIKELY TO FEATURE PROMINENTLY IN THAT REPORT.

HE BELIEVED THAT THEN WOULD BE THE TIME TO CONSIDER THE SHAPE OF THE TEACHER TRAINING ESTABLISHMENTS, INCLUDING THE POSSIBILITY OF REDUCING THE NUMBER OF SEPARATE UNITS.

UNTIL HE HAD THE PANEL'S FINAL REPORT, IT WOULD BE UNWISE TO COMMIT HIMSELF ONE WAY OR THE OTHER, EXCEPT TO NOTE THAT MUCH HAD ALREADY BEEN DONE TO ACHIEVE BETTER CO-ORDINATION BETWEEN THE COLLEGES. THOUGH STOPPING SHORT OF THE IR FULL AMALGAMATION, HE SAID.

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