XN000022-1987-01-07 — Page 40

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 1987

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PLANS TO EXPAND ENGLISH TEACHING IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMMES

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A PILOT SCHEME TO IMPROVE ENGLISH TEACHING IN PUBLIC SECTOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS CONSISTS OF RECRUITING 90 EXPATRIATE TEACHERS AND PROVIDING OVERSEAS TRAINING FOR 100 LOCAL TEACHERS WHO HAVE COMPLETED RETRAINING AT THE INSTITUTE OF LANGUAGE IN EDUCATION, THE SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER, THE HON RON BRIDGE, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

REPLYING TO A QUESTION BY THE HON DANIEL TSE, MR BRIDGE SAID BOTH PROGRAMMES WOULD BE EVALUATED AFTER A YEAR TO SEE WHETHER THEY WERE ACHIEVING THE DESIRED OBJECTIVES AND WHETHER THEY COULD BE MODIFIED AND IMPROVED.

+IF ALL GOES WELL, HE SAID, +BOTH PROGRAMMES WILL BE EXPANDED.+

HOWEVER, MR BRIDGE EMPHASISED THAT THE PROGRAMMES WERE ADDITIONS TO A PACKAGE OF MEASURES DESIGNED TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF ENGLISH TEACHING WHICH WERE ORIGINALLY INTRODUCED IN 1981 AND FURTHER AUGMENTED IN THE LIGHT OF RECOMMENDATIONS CONTAINED IN THE EDUCATION COMMISSION'S FIRST REPORT IN 1984.

ELABORATING ON THE MEASURES, HE SAID THE PACKAGE INCLUDED REVISION OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOL SYLLABUSES, PROVISION OF AN ADDITIONAL TEACHER FOR REMEDIAL TEACHING IN FORMS 1 TO 3, PROVISION OF WIRE-FREE LOOP INDUCTION SYSTEMS FOR LISTENING DRILLS AND STRENGTHENING OF IN-SERVICE ENGLISH LANGUAGE TRAINING FOR TEACHERS THROUGH THE PROGRAMMES OF THE INSTITUTE OF LANGUAGE. IN EDUCATION.

IN ADDITION, THOSE SCHOOLS ADOPTING CHINESE AS THE MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION WILL BE PROVIDED WITH TWO ADDITIONAL TEACHERS OF ENGLISH, A SECOND LOOP-INDUCTION SYSTEM AND GRANTS FOR ADDITIONAL READING MATERIALS AND TEACHING AIDS,+ HE SAID.

MR BRIDGE SAID THE PACKAGE WAS ALSO BEING MONITORED AND EVALUATED AND THE NEED FOR ADDITIONAL MEASURES, OR IMPROVEMENTS TO EXISTING ONES, WOULD BE KEPT VERY MUCH IN MIND,

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