XN000022-1986-10-29 — Page 48

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1986

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NO ACTION TO PREJUDGE SSPA OUTCOME

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NO ACTION WOULD BE TAKEN BY THE ADMINISTRATION WITH REGARD TO THE +ENHANCEMENTS TO THE SECONDARY SCHOOL PLACES ALLOCATION SYSTEM+ (SSPA) WHICH WOULD IN ANY WAY PREJUDGE THE OUTCOME, THE SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER, THE HON RON BRIDGE, SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

REPLYING TO THE HON HUI YIN-FAT WHO ASKED WHETHER THE GOVERNMENT WOULD CONSIDER SHELVING THE NEW MEASURES IN THE LIGHT OF OBJECTIONS RAISED, MR BRIDGE SAID BOTH THE GOVERNMENT AND THE BOARD OF EDUCATION WERE VERY MUCH AWARE THAT THESE WERE CONTROVERSIAL PROPOSALS AND THAT STRONG VIEWS WERE HELD ON BOTH SIDES.

+THE BOARD WILL BE LOOKING AGAIN AT THE ISSUE AT ITS NEXT MEETING IN NOVEMBER,+ MR BRIDGE STATED.

HE SAID HE DID IN ANSWER TO OTHER POINTS RAISED BY MR HUI NOT SEE THE SSPA SYSTEM AS A QUESTION OF A SIMPLE CHOICE BETWEEN AN +ELITIST+ SYSTEM AND AN +EGALITARIAN+ ONE.

+THERE IS RATHER A RANGE OF POSSIBLE SYSTEMS, WITH SELECTION ON THE BASIS OF ABILITY ALONE AT ONE EXTREME AND SELECTION TAKING NO ACCOUNT OF ABILITY AT THE OTHER, + MR BRIDGE SAID.

+ THE FORMER. IN THEORY AT LEAST, PERMITS TEACHING TO BE TAILORED MORE SPÉCIFICALLY TO THE ABILITY LEVEL OF STUDENTS BUT AT THE SAME TIME HAS A DEMORALISING EFFECT ON THE LESS ABLE STUDENTS AND THE SCHOOLS CATERING FOR THEM.

+THE OPPOSITE SYSTEM RESULTS IN SO WIDE A MIX OF ABILITY THAT TEACHING EFFECTIVENESS IS SERIOUSLY UNDERMINED.+

MR BRIDGE NOTED THAT IN PRACTICE. SOME COMPROMISE BETWEEN THESE CONFLICTING PRINCIPLES WAS NEEDED.

ADDING THAT THE REVISED BANDING PROPOSALS WOULD SEEK TO NARROW THE RANGE OF ABILITY IN INDIVIDUAL SCHOOLS IN THE INTERESTS OF IMPROVING TEACHING EFFECTIVENESS, MR BRIDGE SAID THE GOVERNMENT WAS AWAITING FURTHER ADVICE OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION FOR ACHIEVING A REASONABLE BALANCE.

AS TO THE EXTENT OF CONSULTATION CONDUCTED ON THE NEW MEASURES, MR BRIDGE SAID THE REPORT OF A WORKING PARTY ON REVIEW OF THE SSPA WAS WIDELY CIRCULATED FOR PUBLIC COMMENT IN 1981.

PROPOSALS WERE DRAWN UP IN THE LIGHT OF COMMENTS RECEIVED, HE ADDED, BUT FURTHER ACTION WAS DEFERRED PENDING THE REPORT OF THE PANEL OF VISITORS AND THE EDUCATION COMMISSION'S FIRST REPORT.

/+IN 1985, ..