XN000022-1982-04-15 — Page 14

THURSDAY, APRIL 15, 1982

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MR HAYE ALSO EXPRESSED DOUBT THAT THE PROPOSED SYSTEM WOULD RESULT IN ANY GREATER COST EFFECTIVENESS NOR CURE THE SO-CALLED PROBLEM OF VACANT FORM IV PLACES.

+1 SAY 'SO-CALLED' AS THE NUMBER OF SUCH PLACES AS REPORTED SOON AFTER THE START OF THE CURRENT SCHOOL YEAR WAS ONLY ABOUT ONE PER CENT OF THE PLACES AVAILABLE IN THE SCHOOLS.

+SOME WASTAGE, RESULTING FROM SUCH FACTORS AS EMIGRATION AND THE DECISION TO DISCONTINUE SENIOR SECONDARY STUDIES TO GO OUT TO WORK HAS TO BE EXPECTED. AND VACANT PLACES MAY BE FILLED AT THE DISCRETION OF HEADS OF SCHOOLS,+ MR HAYE SAID.

THE DIRECTOR SAID NOTHING WOULD PLEASE HIM MORE THAN TO ABOLISH THE SSPA AND JSEA, WHEN THIS WAS POSSIBLE- BUT WHILE WE HAD THEM, +LET'S NOT MAKE THEM WORSE+.

+PARENTS ARE MORE WORRIED THAN PUPILS. BUT THIS IS NOT TO SAY THAT WE IN EDUCATION DO NOT CARE. OF COURSE I'M WORRIED WHEN A MOTHER LIKE MRS CHOW IS WORRIED AND I AM CONCERNED WHEN TEACHERS TALK OF THE DISTORTION OF THE CURRICULUM BY THE SSPA ACADEMIC APTITUDE TEST AND JSEA SCALING TEST.

+I MUST APPEAL TO PARENTS NOT TO PASS ON THEIR FEARS TO THE IR CHILDREN, AND REMIND TEACHERS THAT THEY ARE THE ONES DISTORTING THE CURRICULUM BY UNNECESSARY DRILLING. THIS IS NO COUNSEL OF DESPAIR BUT A MATTER OF COMMONSENSE. PARENTS AND TEACHERS CAN MAKE THINGS BETTER, NOT WORSE, HE SAID.

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