XN000022-1982-04-15 — Page 12

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THURSDAY, APRIL 15, 1982

AIDED SCHOOLS TO RETAIN FREEDOM: HAYE ASSURES

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THE SUGGESTION THAT AIDED SCHOOLS WERE IN DANGER OF BEING DEPRIVED OF THEIR FREEDOM WAS EMPHATICALLY REFUTED BY THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION, THE HON COLVYN HAYE, IN THE RESUMED BUDGET DEBATE AT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL THIS (THURSDAY) AFTERNOON,

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MR HAYE GAVE A FURTHER ASSURANCE THAT THE CODES OF AID, CURRENTLY UNDER REVIEW, WOULD NOT, INDEED COULD NOT, IN THIS CLIMATE OF COOPERATION AND TRUST, BE UNILATERALLY ALTERED.

+AN UPDATING AND SIMPLIFICATION OF PROCEDURES IS IN MIND, AND I MUST CORRECT THE IMPRESSION THAT HAS BEEN GIVEN THAT AIDED SCHOOLS ARE BEING DEPRIVED OF THEIR FREEDOM TO INITIATE AND DEVELOP NEW PROJECTS TO BENEFIT THE PEOPLE,+ HE SAID.

THE DIRECTOR WAS REPLYING TO ALLEGATIONS BY THE REV THE HON JOYCE BENNETT THAT THE GOVERNMENT, AND IN PARTICULAR THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT, HAD BETRAYED THE TRUST OF SCHOOL SPONSORS BY IMPOSING A NUMBER OF NEW, RESTRICTIVE REGULATIONS AND UNILATERALLY ALTERING LONG ESTABLISHED AND ACCEPTED CODES OF AID.

WITH REGARD TO MISS BENNETT'S SPECIFIC REFERENCE TO THE GOVERNMENT'S +RECENT ATTEMPT TO INSPECT ALL THE ACCOUNTS OF SPONSORING BODIES, MR HAYE SAID HE WOULD ONLY COMMENT THAT THE DIRECTOR OF AUDIT WAS GIVEN RIGHT OF ACCESS TO THE BOOKS AND ACCOUNTS OF AIDED SCHOOLS AND SPONSORS IN 1978, ONLY AFTER THE VARIOUS SCHOOLS COUNCILS CONCERNED HAD BEEN FÚLLY CONSULTED.

ON THE THEME OF CONTROL, MR HAYE SAID HE WAS PUZZLED BY MISS BENNETT'S DEMAND FOR MORE, NOT LESS, CONTROL IN THE PROFESSIONAL CURRICULAR AREA COVERED BY GUIDELINES ON REMEDIAL TEACHING.

HE EXPLAINED THAT THE GUIDELINES HAD DELIBERATELY CONCENTRATED MORE ON WAYS OF ARRANGING, WITHIN THE CONSTRAINTS OF TIME-TABLES AND FACILITIES AVAILABLE, FOR THE REMEDIAL LANGUAGE TEACHING TO TAKE PLACE.

+AND EVEN IN THIS AREA IT WAS THOUGHT THAT DUE RECOGNITION HAD TO BE GIVEN TO THE NEED FOR INDIVIDUAL SCHOOLS TO BE LEFT WITH SUFFICIENT FREEDOM AND FLEXIBILITY TO MEET THEIR OWN PARTICULAR NEEDS.

+WITH REGARD TO CONTENT AND METHODS IT HAS BEEN ASSUMED THAT THE TEACHERS THEMSELVES ARE IN THE BEST POSITION TO ADJUST AND ADAPT TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE CHILDREN IN THEIR CHARGE. SPECIFIC PROBLEMS REQUIRE THEIR OWN REMEDIES AND CANNOT BE COVERED IN A CENTRALLY ISSUED SET OF GUIDELINES, MR HAYE SAID. + BUT LANGUAGE SECTIONS OF THE ADVISORY INSPECTORATE ARE ABLE AND PLEASED TO OFFER ASSISTANCE TO MEET SPECIFIC PROBLEMS, HE ADDED.

THE DEPARTMENT'