XN000022-1986-11-26 — Page 19

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 1986

+ THE GOVERNMENT HAS LOOKED INTO THIS PROPOSAL ON TWO PREVIOUS OCCASIONS, IN 1966 AND 1977. ON BOTH OCCASIONS, THE BALANCE OF THE ARGUMENTS WAS FOUND TO BE AGAINST GOING AHEAD WITH SUCH A SCHEME,+ HE SAID.

MR BRIDGE SAID THE DEVELOPMENT OF LABOUR POLICY HAD BEEN GUIDED BY THE VERY CLEAR PRECEPT LAID DOWN BY THE FORMER GOVERNOR IN HIS ANNUAL ADDRESS TO THE COUNCIL IN 1976.

THE OBJECTIVE WHICH HAD BEEN PURSUED SINCE THEN HAD BEEN TO ACHIEVE A FRAMEWORK OF LEGISLATION GOVERNING SAFETY, HEALTH AND CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT AT LEAST BROADLY EQUIVALENT TO THE BEST IN NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES WHOSE STAGE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND SOCIAL AND CULTURAL BACKGROUND WERE SIMILAR TO THAT OF HONG KONG, HE SAID.

IN PURSUIT OF THIS OBJECTIVE, MORE THAN 150 ITEMS OF LABOUR LEGISLATION HAD BEEN INTRODUCED OVER THE PAST 10 YEARS.

TURNING TO EDUCATION, MR BRIDGE SAID SOME 265 OF THE 320 PUBLIC SECTOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS WERE NOW TEACHING COMPUTER STUDIES COURSES IN FORM 4 AND 5, USING EQUIPMENT WHICH WAS CENTRALLY PURCHASED AND MAINTAINED BY THE GOVERNMENT, AND MORE SCHOOLS WOULD TAKE PART NEXT YEAR.

THERE WERE ALSO PLANS IN HAND TO INTRODUCE COMPUTER LITERACY COURSES IN FORMS 1 TO 3, THE AIM BEING TO ENSURE THAT ALL STUDENTS HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO BECOME FAMILIAR WITH COMPUTERS DURING THEIR PERIOD OF COMPULSORY EDUCATION.

THE OPENING OF THE FIRST COMPUTER EDUCATION CENTRE IN KOWLOON NEXT MONTH WOULD ENABLE THE GOVERNMENT TO GAUGE MORE ACCURATELY THE LONG-TERM DEMAND FOR IN-SERVICE COMPUTER COURSES FOR TEACHERS.

MR BRIDGE STRESSED THAT THE QUESTION OF CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT WAS NOT BEING OVERLOOKED AND THAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS INDEED MAKING USE OF THE EXPERTISE AVAILABLE WITHIN THE TEACHING PROFESSION.

HE SAID: +AT PRESENT, SOME 75 SCHOOL HEADS AND 250 TEACHERS ARE SERVING ON THE CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE AND ITS VARIOUS SUBJECT COMMITTEES WHILE ANOTHER 290 TEACHERS ARE ASSISTING IN THE CLOSELY RELATED TASK OF TEXTBOOK REVIEWING.

+IN ADDITION, UP TO 18 TEACHERS FROM GOVERNMENT AND AIDED SCHOOLS ARE SECONDED TO THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT EACH YEAR AS FULL-TIME MEMBERS OF THE CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT TEAMS.

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/+I DO,