XN000022-1986-12-20 — Page 8

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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1986

+ THE EDUCATION COMMISSION'S RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE INTRODUCTION OF PART-TIME IN-SERVICE BACHELOR EDUCATION DEGREE COURSES IN LOCAL TERTIARY EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTUIONS ARE AIMED AT MEETING SUCH NEEDS,+ MR LI SAID.

+ IF ACCEPTED BY THE GOVERNMENT THE VIEWS AND THE COOPERATION OF THE TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS WILL BE SOUGHT ON A CO-ORDINATED PLAN OF IMPLEMENTATION, HE SAID.

ON THE GREATER NEED TO KEEP TEACHERS UP-TO-DATE, PREPARE THEM FOR CURRICULAR CHANGES AND HELP THEM TO DEVELOP NEW SKILLS, MR LI SAID THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT WAS RUNNING SYSTEMATIC COURSES OF RETRAINING FOR TEACHERS WHOSE INITIAL TRAINING WAS EITHER OUTDATED OR CONSIDERED TO BE INADEQUATE BY PRESENT DAY STANDARD. SHORT COURSES PROVIDING REFRESHER TRAINING WERE ALSO OFFERED.

WITH A TEACHING FORCE OF ABOUT 45 000, MR LI SAID THE DEPARTMENT'S EFFORTS CLEARLY NEEDED TO BE SUPPLEMENTED AND COMPLEMENTED.

ON THE RAPID EXPANSION AND CHANGE IN THE EDUCATION SYSTEM, MR LI SAID IT WAS ESSENTIAL FOR THE DEPARTMENT TO LIAISE AND COLLABORATE CLOSELY WITH THE FACULTY AND SCHOOL OF EDUCATION IN THE TWO UNIVERSITIES ON MATTERS RELATING TO EDUCATION PARTICULARLY TEACHER PREPARATION.

USEFUL LINKS HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED BETWEEN THE DEPARTMENT AND THE UNIVERSITIES FOR THIS PURPOSE, IN THE FORM OF A TEACHER EDUCATION CO-ORDINATION COMMITTEE AND A TEACHER EDUCATION CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE.

ALL PARTIES WERE WORKING TOGETHER IN A NUMBER OF EDUCATIONAL RESEACH PROJECTS, IN CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT, IN THE PLANNING OF IN-SERVICE COURSE FOR TEACHERS AND IN ASSESSING FUTURE TEACHER REQUIREMENTS.

+ I HOPE THAT THIS LINK WILL BE EXTENDED AND FURTHER STRENGTHENED THROUGH CLOSER CONSULTATION AND COOPERATION IN THE DAYS AHEAD, + MR LI SAID.

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