XN000022-1986-12-03 — Page 6

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1986

CANDIDATES FOR THE EXAMINATION INCLUDED MEDICAL GRADUATES FROM BURMA, CHINA, PAKISTAN, PHILIPPINES, TAIWAN, THE UNITED STATES AND CERTAIN COMMONWEALTH COUNTRIES WHICH WERE NOT REGISTERABLE WITH THE GENERAL MEDICAL COUNCIL IN THE UNITED KINGDOM SUCH AS CANADA AND INDIA, HE SAID.

HE SAID THAT 743 CANDIDATES HAD PASSED THE EXAMINATION SINCE 1977, REPRESENTING 16 PER CENT OF THE LOCAL REGISTER.

DR CHIU SAID THAT FROM TIME TO TIME SOME PEOPLE HAD TRIED TO FORCE THE GOVERNMENT TO ISSUE THEM LICENCES TO PRACTISE WITHOUT GOING THROUGH THE PROFESSIONAL EXAMINATION.

HE SAID THAT SUCH PEOPLE HAD CLAIMED THAT GOVERNMENT WAS MAKING USE OF THE LICENTIATE EXAMINATION TO DETER THEM FROM OBTAINING A LICENCE BY RAISING THE STANDARD OF ENGLISH TO AN UNREASONABLY HIGH LEVEL.

DR CHIU ADDED SUCH ALLEGATION WAS GROUNDLESS AND EXPLAINED THAT THE LICENTIATE EXAMINATION COMPRISED THREE PARTS.

PART OF THE EXAMINATION COULD BE CONDUCTED EITHER IN ENGLISH OR CHINESE WHILE THE LANGUAGE USED IN THE ORAL EXAMINATION OF PART 111 COULD BE CHOSEN FROM ENGLISH, CANTONESE OR MANDARIN BY THE CANDIDATES THEMSELVES.

HE SAID PART II WAS TO TEST THE CANDIDATES' ADEQUACY IN COMMAND OF WRITTEN ENGLISH FOR PROFESSIONAL PURPOSES AND THE PASS RATES FOR CANDIDATES FROM CHINA FOR THIS PAPER IN THE TWO EXAMINATIONS HELD IN 1986 WERE 63 PER CENT AND 84 PER CENT.

+IN VIEW OF THESE FIGURES I HOPE THAT NONE OF US WILL BE LED TO BELIEVE ANY LONGER THAT PART 11 OF THE EXAMINATION POSES TOO MUCH OF A PROBLEM FOR CANDIDATES COMING FROM NON-ENGLISH SPEAKING COUNTRIES,+ HE SAID.

DR CHIU REITERATED THAT THE BASIC OBJECTIVE OF THE EXAMINATION WAS TO PROTECT THE INTERESTS AND HEALTH OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC.

HE SAID THAT IT ALSO SERVED AS A VENUE FOR CANDIDATES TO HAVE THEIR COMPETENCE ASSESSED SO THAT A BASIC STANDARD COULD BE ACHIEVED.

+SUCH AN ASSESSMENT IS ESSENTIAL IN ANY CIVILISED COMMUNITY AND SHOULD NOT BE INFLUENCED BY FACTORS OTHER THAN ENSURING AN ACCEPTABLE STANDARD, + HE ADDED.

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