XN000022-1986-12-20 — Page 7

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1986

6

NEED FOR MORE TRAINED TEACHERS EMPHASISED

*****

ABOUT 13 100 GRADUATE TEACHERS WILL BE REQUIRED BY 1994 TO MEET GOVERNMENT'S TARGETS IN SECONDARY EDUCATION, THE BROADENING OF THE CURRICULUM, THE ALLOCATION OF ADDITIONAL MANPOWER TO SCHOOLS FOR MORE EFFECTIVE TEACHING AND GUIDANCE AND TO SUPPORT A WIDER RANGE OF EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES, THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION. MR LI YUET-TING, SAID TODAY (SATURDAY).

SPEAKING AT A GRADUATION CEREMONY OF THE FACULTY OF EDUCATION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG, MR LI SAID THE DEMAND FOR GRADUATE TEACHERS HAD BEEN INCREASING SINCE THE MID-1970'S AND THERE WERE ABOUT 10 600 GRADUATE TEACHERS SERVING IN GOVERNMENT, AIDED AND THE BETTER SECONDARY SCHOOLS AT THIS STAGE.

+AS THE EDUCATION SYSTEM IN HONG KONG CONTINUES TO GROW AND DEVELOP, THERE WILL BE A NEED NOT MERELY FOR MORE GRADUATE TEACHERS BUT MORE GRADUATE TEACHERS WHO ARE PROPERLY TRAINED AND SUITABLY QUALIFIED FOR THEIR JOB, HE SAID.

THE EDUCATION COMMISSION IN ITS REPORT NO. 2 HAD RECOMMENDED THAT THE PROPORTION OF TRAINED GRADUATE TEACHERS SHOULD BE INCREASED TO 80 PER CENT BY 1994 AS AN INTERIM MEASURE AND THAT THE ULTIMATE TARGET SHOULD BE SET AT 90 PER CENT COMPARED WITH ONLY ABOUT 60 PER CENT OF TRAINED SERVING GRADUATE TEACHERS AS AT PRESENT.

IN THE EVENT THESE RECOMMENDATIONS WERE ACCEPTED BY THE GOVERNMENT, MR LI SAID ADDITIONAL RESOURCES WOULD BE PROVIDED THROUGH THE UNIVERSITY AND POLYTECHNIC GRANTS COMMITTEE AND THE GOVERNMENT WOULD CONSULT FURTHER WITH THE UNIVERSITIES.

MR LI SAID THERE WOULD ALSO BE A NEED FOR MORE AND BETTER PREPARED TEACHER TRAINERS TO MEET THE DEMAND FOR A GREATER SUPPLY OF NON-GRADUATE TEACHERS.

TO IMPLEMENT THE EDUCATION COMMISSION'S RECOMMENDATIONS IN ITS REPORT NO. 2 FOR THE TRAINING OF QUALIFIED ASSISTANT KINDERGARTEN TEACHERS, QUALIFIED KINDERGARTEN TEACHERS, TECHNICAL TEACHERS AND INSTRUCTORS IN TECHNICAL INSTITUTES, AND TEACHERS OF CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL EDUCATION NEEDS, MR LI SAID THERE WOULD ALSO BE A GREATER DEMAND FOR MORE EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATORS, CURRICULUM PLANNERS AND GUIDANCE TEACHERS.

IN ADDITION, THERE WOULD BE A NEED TO RAISE THE PROFESSIONALISM AND LEADERSHIP OF HEADS OF PRIMARY SCHOOLS AND SPECIAL SCHOOLS, TO FURTHER IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED IN THESE SECTORS.

+ THERE WILL ALSO BE A NEED TO UPDATE THE PROFESSIONAL TRAINING OF NON-GRADUATE TEACHERS OF PRACTICAL, TECHNICAL AND CULTURAL SUBJECTS, IN ORDER TO BETTER EQUIP THEM TO TEACH THESE SUBJECTS IN THE UPPER FORMS, HE ADDED.

/+THE EDUCATION