XN000022-1983-03-23 — Page 7

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, 1983

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+ IN THIS WAY THEY HAVE DEPRIVED A STUDENT OF A TWO YEARS' PLACE AND SHOWN THEIR SCORN OF AN EXAMINATION THAT CAN BE PASSED SATISFACTORILY WITHOUT ANY SPECIFIC COURSE OF STUDY SCING PURSUED.+

TURNING TO THE CONDITIONS OF SCHOOLS WITH +BOUGHT PLACES+ MISS BENNETT SAID THAT THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT HAD THREE GRADES OF INDEPENDENT PRIVATE SCHOOLS IN WHICH IT BOUGHT PLACES TO ENABLE CHILDREN TO RECEIVE THEIR THREE YEARS FREE JUNIOR SECONDARY EDUCATION.

+UNFORTUNATELY WE ARE STILL HAVING TO BUY PLACES IN MANY OF THESE SCHOOLS WHICH ARE SUB-STANDARD IN QUALITY, SHE DEPLORED.

+THE MAJORITY OF THESE WORSE SCHOOLS ARE IN KOWLOON AND THE NEW TERRITORIES.

*THEY DO NOT HAVE PROPER SCHOOL BUILDINGS THEY HAVE LITTLE OR NO PLAY AREAS AND THEY DO NOT HAVE MANY TRAINED TEACHERS.+

SHE SAID SHE REALISED THAT THE LACK OF SCHOOL BUILDINGS WOULD EXIST FOR A FEW MORE YEARS, AND PLEADED THAT EVERY CONSIDERATION BE GIVEN TO OVERCOME THIS PROBLEM AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

WHILE ON THE SUBJECT OF EDUCATION, MISS BENNETT REVEALED, AS A MATTER OF RECORD, THAT THE EXTRA TEACHERS GRANTED TO SECONDARY SCHOOLS FOR REMEDIAL TEACHING IN ENGLISH AND CHINESE WERE ALREADY PROVING BENEFICIAL.

SHE EXPRESSED CONFIDENCE THAT THE EXTRA GRADUATE TEACHER TO BE GRANTED IN SEPTEMBER THIS YEAR AND THE TWO NON-GRADUATE TEACHERS TO BE PROVIDED IN 1984 WOULD CONSIDERABLY RAISE THE STANDARD OF EDUCATION.

SHE ALSO CALLED FOR THE EARLY PUBLICATION OF THE REPORT ON THE OVERALL REVIEW OF THE EDUCATION SYSTEM IN HONG KONG.

*THE SLOWNESS OF ITS PUBLICATION WOULD AROUSE SUSPICIONS THAT THE GOVERNMENT INTENDS TO PIGEON-HOLE IT AWAY AND NOT MAKE PUBLIC ITS RECOMMENDATIONS.+

ANOTHER AREA OF CONCERN WAS THE + INSUFFICIENT BACK-UP+ VOLUNTARY AGENCIES RECEIVED FROM GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS,

THE UNOFFICIALS, WHEN EXAMINING THE ESTIMATES, WERE PARTICULARLY STRUCK BY THE LARGE AMOUNT OF APPROVED COMMITMENTS FOR NEW PROJECTS IN THE CAPITAL ACCOUNT FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION SUBVENTIONS.

OVER $140 MILLION APPROVED FOR SOME WORTHWHILE PROJECTS HAD, FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER, BEEN DELAYED, SHE SAID.

SHE NOTED THAT SCHOOLS, SUCH AS THE HONG KONG SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF, WHERE SQUATTERS HAD ENCROACHED ON THEIR PRIVATE LAND, WERE NOT GIVEN SUFFICIENT BACKUP BY THE GOVERNMENT.

IN ILT