XN000022-1985-05-29 — Page 11

WEDNESDAY, MAY 29, 1985

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MR CHAMBERS ASSURED THE COUNCIL THAT PROMPT ACTION WOULD BE TAKEN IF ANY THREAT TO THE HEALTH OF SEA BATHERS MATERIALISED.

HE SAID ALSO THAT ONE MAJOR SOURCE OF UNAVOIDABLE POLLUTION WAS THE SWIMMERS THEMSELVES.

SWIMMERS MIGHT DEPOSIT SIGNIFICANT QUANTITIES OF BACTERIA INTO THE WATER, EVEN IF THE IR PERSONAL HYGIENE WAS GOOD.

WATER SAMPLES TAKEN ON SUMMER SUNDAYS AND HOLIDAYS SHOWED THAT THE LEVEL OF BACTERIA WAS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER AT THESE TIMES, MR CHAMBERS SAID.

GRADUATE TEACHERS TURNOVER RATE REVEALED

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THE TURNOVER RATE OF GRADUATE TEACHERS IN GOVERNMENT SECONDARY SCHOOLS WHO TAUGHT FOR THREE YEARS OR LESS AND THEN RESIGNED OR TRANSFERRED TO ANOTHER GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT WAS SIX OUT OF 94 (OR 6.4 PER CENT) IN 1982-83 AND THREE OUT OF 90 (OR 3.3 PER CENT) IN 1983-84, THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION, THE HON MICHAEL LEUNG, SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

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REPLYING TO A QUESTION BY THE HON SELINA CHOW ON THE TURNOVER RATE OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS, MR LEUNG SAID HE COULD ONLY PROVIDE EXACT INFORMATION ON GRADUATE TEACHERS IN GOVERNMENT SECONDARY SCHOOLS AND FOR THE TWO PREVIOUS SCHOOL YEARS.

+AS FOR GRADUATE TEACHERS IN AIDED AND PRIVATE SECONDARY SCHOOLS, WE ONLY HAVE INFORMATION ON THE PERCENTAGES OF THOSE TEACHERS, BY AGE BRACKET AND NOT BY LENGTH OF TEACHING EXPERIENCE, WHO LEFT THE TEACHING PROFESSION OR TRANSFERRED TO ANOTHER SCHOOL

IN THE 1981-82 AND 1982-83 SCHOOL YEARS, HE SAID.

INFORMATION FOR THE 1983-84 SCHOOL YEAR WAS NOT YET AVAILABLE,

HE ADDED.

+THE AGE BRACKET CLOSEST TO THE GROUP REFERRED TO BY MRS CHOW IS 24 OR BELOW. IN 1981-82, 9.9 PER CENT OF THE AIDED SECONDARY SCHOOL GRADUATE TEACHERS IN THIS AGE BRACKET LEFT THE TEACHING PROFESSION WHILE ANOTHER 5.9 PER CENT TRANSFERRED TO ANOTHER SCHOOL.

+IN 1982-83 THE CORRESPONDING PERCENTAGES WERE 7.3 PER CENT AND 5.2 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY, MR LEUNG SAID.

+AS FOR PRIVATE SECONDARY SCHOOL GRADUATE TEACHERS IN THE SAME AGE BRACKET, IN 1981-82, 15.3 PER CENT LEFT THE TEACHING PROFESSION WHILE ANOTHER 17.1 PER CENT TRANSFERRED TO ANOTHER SCHOOL. THE CORRESPONDING PERCENTAGES FOR 1982-83 WERE 21.6 PER CENT AND 6.5 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY,+ HE SAID.

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