XN000022-1983-06-17 — Page 5

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FRIDAY, JUNE 17, 1983

GOVERNMENT COMMITTED TO IMPROVING LANGUAGE STANDARD

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THE SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER, MR KENNETH TOPLEY TODAY (FRIDAY) REAFFIRMED THE GOVERNMENT'S COMMITMENT TO. IMPROVING THE STANDARD OF CHINESE AND ENGLISH IN SCHOOLS.

HE WAS SPEAKING AT THE GRADUATION CEREMONY OF THE SECOND RETRAINING COURSE FOR PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS OF CHINESE AND ENGLISH AT THE INSTITUTE OF LANGUAGE IN EDUCATION (ILE).

THE TEACHERS WERE BEING CONGRATULATED ON HAVING SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED THE FOUR-MONTH, FULL-TIME COURSE AT THE ILE. WHICH. HAD BEEN ESTABLISHED AS PART OF THE GOVERNMENT'S LANGUAGE. PACKAGE ANNOUNCED IN 1981.

THE COURSE IS INTENDED TO HELP TEACHERS IMPROVE THEIR LANGUAGE TEACHING SKILLS.

+ IT IS NOW WIDELY RECOGNISED NOWADAYS THAT SUCCESSFUL LANGUAGE TEACHING AT ALL LEVELS REQUIRES A CADRE OF WELL-TRAINED SPECIALIST TEACHERS WITH A STRONG PROFESSIONAL COMMITMENT TO A CAREER IN LANGUAGE TEACHING.

+FOR THIS REASON, WE ARE PLACING EMPHASIS ON DEVELOPING AND IMPROVING OUR TEACHING FORCE, STARTING WITH YOU, THE TEACHERS OF LANGUAGE IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS+, MR TOPLEY SAID.

HE WENT ON TO SAY THAT THE FIRST PRIORITY OF THE ILE WAS TO CONDUCT REFRESHER COURSES, AFTER WHICH IT WAS PLANNED TO UNDERTAKE CONFERENCES, SEMINARS AND RESEARCH PROJECTS.

ANOTHER FUNCTION OF THE ILE WAS TO DEVELOP TEACHING MATERIALS AND RESOURCES IN ORDER TO BECOME A CENTRE WHERE TEACHERS COULD COME FOR IDEAS ON CLASSROOM TEACHING, HE ADDED.

FOLLOWING THE CEREMONY, MR TOPLEY JOINED THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION (ILE), MR ANDREW FOK, AND STAFF OF THE INSTITUTE TO LOOK AT AN EXHIBITION OF ORIGINAL AND ADAPTED TEACHING MATERIALS PRODUCED BY THE GRADUATES.

CHINESE CUSTOMS OFFICERS TO VISIT HONG KONG

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A DELEGATION OF SENIOR CHINESE CUSTOMS OFFICIALS, LED BY IR SUN CHUENLU, DIRECTOR OF THE GUANGDONG BRANCH OF THE GENERAL CUSTOMS ADMINISTRATION, WILL ARRIVE ON MONDAY (JUNE 20) FOR MEETINGS WITH THEIR COUNTERPARTS IN THE HONG KONG CUSTOMS AND EXCISE SERVICE.

THE VISIT IS PART OF THE ON-GOING CONTACTS AT DIRECTORATE LEVEL OF THE TWO CUSTOMS ADMINISTRATIONS.

/DISCUSSIONS WILL