XN000022-1983-03-23 — Page 6

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, 1983

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MISS BENNETT POINTED OUT THAT THE DIAGNOSTIC CENTRE, IF TABLISHED, WOULD MAKE FURTHER FINANCIAL SAVING BY COORDINATING THE COMPILING OF REPORTS ON SUITABILITY FOR THE DIFFERENT FORMS

TRAINING AND TREATMENT.

+IT COULD WELL BE USEFUL TO CALL UPON THE VOLUNTARY SECTOR TO PROVIDE SOME UNOFFICIAL INPUT, PERHAPS AT THE CHAIRMAN LEVEL, FOR THE DIAGNOSTIC CENTRE, SHE ADDED.

+THEN SCHOOLS RUNNING CLASSES FOR SLOW LEARNERS AND MALADJUSTED CHILDREN COULD BE ASSURED THAT THE BEST PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES WERE AVAILABLE TO THEM IN THE ASSESSING OF THEIR CHILDREN.+

MISS BENNETT ALSO CRITICISED THE GOVERNMENT FOR NOT TACKLING SERIOUSLY THE EDUCATION OF CHILDREN ON PROBATION AND UNDER CARE AND PROTECTION ORDERS WHO WERE CONFINED IN CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS RUN BY THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT.

FOLLOWING THE JARMAN REPORT, SHE NOTED, UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL WERE TOLD THAT AN EDUCATION ADVISER FROM THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT WOULD BE SECONDED TO THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT TO ADVISE ON THE SCHOOLING OF THE INMATES IN THEIR INSTITUTIONS.

HOWEVER, SHE WAS DISTRESSED TO FIND THAT THE ADVISER WAS ONLY ADVISING ON ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS AND WAS IN FACT NOT AN EXPERT IN SPECIAL EDUCATION.

SHE WONDERED WHY THE CLASSES IN THESE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT-RUN HOMES WERE NOT INSPECTED BY THE INSPECTORS FROM THE SPECIAL EDUCATION SECTION OF THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT WHO HAD A CERTAIN EXPERTISE TO DEAL WITH THE NEEDS OF SOCIALLY DEPRIVED AND EMOTIONALLY DISTURBED CHILDREN.

ON THE SUBJECT OF UNIVERSITY EDUCATION, MISS BENNETT URGED THE GOVERNMENT TO REDUCE THE EXAMINATION PRESSURE FOR STUDENTS BY ABOLISHING THE HIGHER LEVEL EXAMINATION AND BY CUTTING DOWN THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY COURSE BY ONE YEAR SO AS TO HAVE A COMMON UNIVERSITY ENTRANCE POLICY+.

SHE POINTED OUT THAT IN THE 1950'S, ANGLO-CHINESE SECONDARY SCHOOLS HAD RELUCTANTLY AND VERY RAPIDLY TO ADD A SEVENTH YEAR TO THEIR SCHOOL COURSE AND TO DEVELOP TWO-YEAR ADVANCED LEVEL PREPARATORY COURSES OF THE HONG KONG UNIVERSITY ENTRANCE.

THE 1980'S SHOULD SEE A SIMILAR REVISION OF THE ENTRANCE TO AND LENGTH OF THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY COURSE, SHE SAID, ADDING THAT BOTH UNIVERSITIES SHOULD HAVE IN THE MAJORITY OF SUBJECTS A THREE-YEAR BACHELOR'S DEGREE COURSE.

+AN ADDED ADVANTAGE IS THAT MORE STUDENTS CAN HAVE, A MEANINGFUL TWO YEARS' SIXTH FORM COURSE, INSTEAD OF TRYING TO CRAM A YEAR'S EXAMINATION COURSE INTO THE FEW MONTHS FROM SEPTEMBER TO APRIL.

+SO MANY OVER THE YEARS HAVE NOT VALUED THAT COURSE, OPTING TO START THE TWO YEARS COURSE AND TAKE AND PASS THE HIGHER LEVEL EXAMINATION ON THE SIDE.

THIS