XN000022-1986-09-16 — Page 2

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 1986

EDUCATION REPORT PUBLISHED FOR CONSULTATION

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THE EDUCATION COMMISSION'S REPORT NO. 2 WAS PUBLISHED TODAY (TUESDAY) FOR PUBLIC CONSULTATION.

A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID THAT COPIES OF THE REPORT WOULD BE DISTRIBUTED TO SCHOOLS, EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS AND OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES.

+THE EDUCATION COMMISSION WILL WELCOME COMMENTS ON ALL ASPECTS OF THE REPORT DURING THE THREE-MONTH CONSULTATION PERIOD+, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

THE EDUCATION COMMISSION, WHICH MEETS UNDER THE CHAIRMANSHIP OF MR LEE QUO-WEI, HAS BEEN WORKING ON THE REPORT SINCE EARLY LAST YEAR.

+ THE REPORT DISCUSSES IN DETAIL A WIDE RANGE OF IMPORTANT EDUCATIONAL ISSUES, INCLUDING PRE-PRIMARY SERVICES, THE DEVELOPMENT OF SIXTH FORM EDUCATION, TEACHER PREPARATION, OPEN EDUCATION AND THE FINANCING OF EDUCATION+,

+IT MAKES MORE THAN 100 RECOMMENDATIONS RELATING TO THE SE AND OTHER ISSUES+, THE SPOKESMAN ADDED.

THE SPOKESMAN HIGHLIGHTED THE FOLLOWING MAJOR RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE REPORT1-

PRE-PRIMARY SERVICES:

AN IMPROVED FEE ASSISTANCE SCHEME TO SUPPORT HIGHER SALARIES FOR KINDERGARTEN TEACHERS IS RECOMMENDED IN CHAPTER V OF THE REPORT.

IN THE COMMISSION'S VIEW, THIS WILL ENCOURAGE BOTH THE SEEKING OF TRAINING BY THE TEACHERS AND AN IMPROVED TEACHING STAFF STRUCTURE IN KINDERGARTENS.

THE REPORT OUTLINES A PROGRAMME OF TEACHER PREPARATION TO ENSURE THAT AN ADEQUATE NUMBER OF TRAINED KINDERGARTEN TEACHERS ARE AVAILABLE AND RECOMMENDS THE UNIFICATION OF ALL PRE-PRIMARY SERVICES.

SIXTH FORM EDUCATION:

IN CHAPTER VI OF THE REPORT. THE COMMISSION RECOMMENDS AN INTEGRATED SIXTH FORM CURRICULUM, THE ABOLITION OF THE HONG KONG HIGHER LEVEL EXAMINATION AND THE INTRODUCTION OF A NEW INTERMEDIATE (1) LEVEL EXAMINATION, BASED ON A CURRICULUM DERIVED FROM THE HONG KONG ADVANCED (A) LEVEL EXAMINATION.

THE COMMISSION SUGGESTS THAT BOTH A AND I LEVEL EXAMINATIONS SHOULD BE AVAILABLE IN CHINESE AS WELL AS ENGLISH AND THAT NEW SUBJECTS OF A LESS ACADEMIC NATURE SHOULD BE DEVELOPED AT BOTH LEVELS, IN ORDER TO BROADEN THE CURRICULUM.

/THE COMMISSION