XN000022-1983-04-18 — Page 7

MONDAY, APRIL 18, 1983

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+THE COMPUTER SYLLABUS IN FORM IV AND V IS UNTRIED AND MAY NEED TO BE ADJUSTED IN THE LIGHT OF EXPERIENCE. ALSO WE HAVE TO BE FULLY AWARE OF ANY PROBLEMS ARISING FROM THE SUITABILITY OF EQUIPMENT OR CURRICULUM MATERIAL,+ AN EDUCATION DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN SAID.

GIVEN THAT ALL FACTORS ARE FAVOURABLE, THE EARLIEST DATE FOR EXTENSION OF COMPUTER STUDIES IN SCHOOLS WOULD BE SEPTEMBER 1984, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

THE EVALUATION REPORT AT THE END OF THE FIRST YEAR OF OPERATION WILL ALSO INCLUDE THE DESIRABILITY OF INTRODUCING COMPUTER EDUCATION TO JUNIOR SECONDARY, PRIMARY OR SIXTH FORM LEVELS.

NEARLY $2 MILLION HAS BEEN SPENT IN LAUNCHING THE PILOT SCHEME. THIS INVOLVED 30 SECONDARY SCHOOLS, EACH HAVING AT LEAST NINE MICRO-COMPUTERS, FIVE OR MORE DISC DRIVES, A CASSETTE TAPE-RECORDER AND TWO PRINTERS.

THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT'S ADVISORY INSPECTORATE HAS BEEN CLOSELY MONITORING THE SCHEME AND HAS FOUND THAT OVER 90 PER CENT OF THE PUPILS CONSIDER THE COURSE INTERESTING AND WITHIN THEIR ABILITY. TEACHERS TOO CONSIDER THE COURSE CONTENTS SUITABLE.

APART FROM THE 30 PILOT SECONDARY SCHOOLS, 45 OTHER SCHOOLS ALSO APPLIED TO INTRODUCE THIS SUBJECT. THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT IN PRINCIPLE GAVE THEM PERMISSION ON THE UNDERSTANDING THAT ADEQUATE EQUIPMENT WOULD BE PROVIDED FROM THE SCHOOLS' OWN RESOURCES.

+IT IS EXPECTED THAT ABOUT 4 000 PUPILS WILL BE SITTING COMPUTER STUDIES IN THE HONG KONG CERTIFICATE OF EDUCATION EXAMINATION FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MAY 1984, + THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

THE DEPARTMENT, IN PREPARATION FOR THE INTRODUCTION OF THIS SUBJECT, BEGAN COURSES FOR TEACHERS AS FAR BACK AS 1977 IN CONJUNCTION WITH HKU, CUHK AND THE POLYTECHNIC. IN ALL, NEARLY 2 000 TEACHERS WENT THROUGH THESE COURSES, WHICH INCLUDED SUCH TOPICS AS A GENERAL INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER APPLICATION IN EDUCATION, AND PROGRAMMING IN FORTRAN AND BASIC.

THE ADVISORY INSPECTORATE OF THE DEPARTMENT ALSO PROVIDES A SUPPORTING SERVICE TO SCHOOLS IN THE PROVISION OF RELATED AUDIO-VISUAL AIDS AND IN SUPPLYING TEACHING MATERIAL AND ADVISING TEACHERS ON THE USE OF REFERENCE BOOKS.

THE SCHOOLS INVOLVED IN THE SUBJECT - BOTH PILOT AND NON-PILOT ARE ALSO VISITED REGULARLY BY SUBJECT INSPECTORS WHO CFFER ADVICE AND GUIDANCE WHERE NEEDED.

+COMPUTER 'STUDIES' IN HONG KONG SCHOOLS SHOULD NOT BE CONFUSED WITH COMPUTER AWARENESS' IN SCHOOLS ELSEWHERE. IT IS ONE THING TO LET SMALL CHILDREN PLAY AROUND WITH COMPUTERS, QUITE ANOTHER TO ENCOURAGE OLDER CHILDREN TO STUDY AND USE THEM, + THE SPOKESMAN ADDED.

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