XN000022-1986-10-08 — Page 13

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1986

FROM THIS ACADEMIC YEAR, BOTH THE CITY POLYTECHNIC AND THE BAPTIST COLLEGE WOULD OFFER DEGREE PROGRAMMES, SIR EDWARD SAID. HONG KONG NOW HAD FIVE DEGREE AWARDING INSTITUTIONS, WITH 16 000 STUDENTS ON THE IR COURSES.

THESE DEVELOPMENTS HAD INCREASED THE DEMAND FOR VALIDATION OF NEW DEGREE COURSES. AND THE TIME HAD COME TO PREPARE FOR HONG KONG'S OWN VALIDATION SYSTEM.

+A PLANNING COMMITTEE ON ACADEMIC AWARDS HAS BEEN APPOINTED AND INVITED TO PREPARE RECOMMENDATIONS BY THE MIDDLE OF NEXT YEAR, HE SAID.

TURNING TO THE SECOND REPORT OF THE EDUCATION COMMISSION, SIR EDWARD SAID THE REPORT CONTAINED FAR-REACHING RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE SIXTH FORM, PRE-SCHOOL EDUCATION, TEACHER PREPARATION, OPEN EDUCATION, AND FINANCING OF THE EDUCATION SYSTEM.

+THE COMMISSION HAS PLACED HIGH PRIORITY ON THE INTRODUCTION OF A SIMPLE AND LOGICAL SYSTEM FOR ENTRY TO THE TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS, WHILE EMPHASISING THE IMPORTANCE OF SIXTH FORM EDUCATION, IN ITS OWN RIGHT, FOR THAT MAJORITY OF STUDENTS WHO DO NOT PROCEED TO HIGHER EDUCATION, HE SAID.

ON IMPLEMENTATION OF RECOMMENDATIONS CONTAINED IN THE COMMISSION'S FIRST REPORT, SIR EDWARD SAID A SCHOOL BUILDING PROGRAMME COMPRISING 31 NEW SECONDARY SCHOOLS AND FOUR NEW PREVOCATIONAL SCHOOLS, SCHEDULED FOR COMPLETION BY 1993, HAD BEEN APPROVED.

+THIS SHOULD PERMIT THE ABOLITION OF THE JUNIOR SECONDARY EDUCATION ASSESSMENT BY 1991, + HE NOTED.

THE

REFERRING TO TECHNICAL EDUCATION AND INDUSTRIAL TRAINING, GOVERNOR SAID THE RECENT OPENING OF THE SHA TIN AND TUEN MUN TECHNICAL INSTITUTES HAD SUBSTANTIALLY INCREASED THE NUMBER OF FULL-TIME AND EQUIVALENT PLACES IN THE SEVEN TECHNICAL INSTITUTES, FROM 9 100 TO 13 400,

+AN EIGHTH TECHNICAL INSTITUTE, NOW UNDER CONSTRUCTION AT CHAI WAN, WILL OPEN IN SEPTEMBER 1987, AND WILL PROVIDE A FURTHER 2 700 PLACES, HE SAID.

SIR EDWARD SAID THAT COMPUTER EDUCATION HAD CONTINUED TO EXPAND IN GOVERNMENT AND AIDED SECONDARY SCHOOLS WITH 265 SCHOOLS NOW OFFERING COMPUTER STUDIES IN THE FORM 4 AND 5 CURRICULA,

PLANS WERE IN HAND TO EXTEND COMPUTER EDUCATION TO JUNIOR SECONDARY FORMS, STARTING IN SEPTEMBER NEXT YEAR.

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