XN000022-1986-03-27 — Page 8

THURSDAY, MARCH 27, 1986

+ IN PARTICULAR, IF WE WANT TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF OUR NINE-YEAR FREE AND COMPULSORY EDUCATION, WE MUST CONTINUALLY DEVELOP A CURRICULUM WHICH IS COMPREHENSIVE, CAPABLE OF SHAKING OFF THE HEREDITARY EFFECTS OF THE OLD ELITIST EDUCATION POLICY, TOTALLY STUDENT-ORIENTED, CAPABLE OF SUITING STUDENTS OF DIFFERENT LEARNING ABILITY AND APTITUDE, ABLE TO KEEP IN LINE WITH HONG KONG'S SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT AND FLEXIBLE, HE SAID.

HE NOTED THAT AT PRESENT CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT WORK WAS BEING UNDERTAKEN BY THE CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE OF THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT AND THE RESULTS OF THE PROGRAMME OF SECONDING SERVING TEACHERS SPECIFICALLY FOR THE TASK WERE NOT SATISFACTORY.

THERE WAS STILL A SHORTAGE OF MANPOWER, AND RECRUITMENT EFFORTS HAD NOT BEEN SUCCESSFUL, HE ADDED.

+ IN ORDER TO IMPLEMENT FULL-SCALE AND EFFECTIVE REFORMS IN CURRICULUM, SO AS TO FIT IN WITH OTHER MEASURES TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION, IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THE PRESENT CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE UNDER THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT CAN NO LONGER SERVE ITS FUNCTION, HE SAID.

THEREFORE, HE HOPED THE GOVERNMENT WOULD CONSIDER SETTING UP AN INDEPENDENT AND WELL-ORGANISED BODY - THE CURRICULUM COUNCIL.

MR SZETO WAH SAID THE MAJOR TERMS OF REFERENCE OF THE COUNCIL SHOULD INCLUDE DESIGNING THE CURRICULA OF VARIOUS ACADEMIC AND ARTS SUBJECTS OF ALL LEVELS EXAMINING AND APPROVING TEXTBOOKS; EVALUATING PUBLIC EXAMINATIONS: STUDYING WAYS TO IMPROVE THE CURRICULUM GIVING ADVICE ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF CURRICULUM: COORDINATING THE PROVISION OF VARIOUS SUPPLEMENTARY RESOURCES; ACTIVELY PROVIDING EFFECTIVE METHODS FOR CIVIC EDUCATION; MORAL EDUCATION AND EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES AND PROVIDING TRAINING FOR TEACHERS.

AS TO THE STRUCTURE OF THE CURRICULUM COUNCIL, IT SHOULD BE INDEPENDENT IN ADMINISTRATION AND FINANCE, BUT SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE TO THE BOARD OF EDUCATION IN POLICY MATTERS, HE SAID.

IN HIS VIEW, THE COUNCIL SHOULD ALSO HAVE AT LEAST THREE SUBSIDIARY ORGANISATIONS, NAMELY A RESEARCH CENTRE, EXPERIMENTAL SCHOOLS AND A TEACHERS' CENTRE.

IN ADDITION, THE COUNCIL SHOULD ESTABLISH LINKS WITH THE EXISTING ARTS AND CRAFTS CENTRE, AUDIO-VISUAL AID CENTRE AND THE EDUCATIONAL TELEVISION, HE SAID.

IT SHOULD ALSO KEEP IN TOUCH WITH VARIOUS SCHOOLS TO HELP IMPLEMENTING THE TRIAL AND EVALUATION OR CURRICULUM, ADDED.

HE

+IF SUCH A CURRICULUM COUNCIL WAS ESTABLISHED, IT WOULD BE OF GREAT HELP IN IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION IN HONG KONG+, MR SZETO SAID.

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