XN000022-1987-01-21 — Page 16

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 1987

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HOWEVER, AT THE SAME TIME, THERE WERE A NUMBER OF UN-COORDINATED KINDERGARTEN COURSES OF VARYING DURATION AND DEPTH IN CONTENT OFFERED BY EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS BUT WERE NOT RECOGNISED BY THE GOVERNMENT FOR EMPLOYMENT PURPOSES.

DR HO ENDORSED A GOVERNMENT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE SCHEME TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF PRE-SCHOOL EDUCATION BUT EXPRESSED SERIOUS DOUBTS ABOUT THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE SPLIT CONTRIBUTION FACTOR+ APPROACH AS RECOMMENDED IN THE EDUCATION COMMISSION REPORT NO 2.

UNDER THE APPROACH, KINDERGARTEN OPERATORS SHOULD RECEIVE THE FEE ASSISTANCE APPLICATIONS, CHECK AND FORWARD THEM TO THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT FOR PROCESSING. THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT SHOULD CALCULATE THE FEE ASSISTANCE PAYABLE, AND CONDUCT SPOT CHECKS ON KINDERGARTEN OPERATORS AND RANDOM MEANS TESTS OF PARENTS.

SUCH AN APPROACH WAS ARBITRARY AND CUMBERSOME IN ADMINISTRATION, HE SAID.

HE PROPOSED THAT IN DECIDING THE LEVEL OF FINANCIAL SUBSIDIES FOR NON-PROFIT-MAKING KINDERGARTENS, OTHER PROGRAMME CRITERIA

AND SUCH AS IMPROVED FACILITIES, THE RATIO OF SPACE TO PUPILS, TEACHING EQUIPMENT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED BESIDES THE EMPLOYMENT OF QUALIFIED TEACHERS.

TURNING TO OPEN EDUCATION, DR HO SUGGESTED THAT AN OPEN EDUCATION COUNCIL BE ESTABLISHED TO CO-ORDINATE AND ADVISE ON PRIORITIES IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF A COMPREHENSIVE ADULT EDUCATION PROGRAMME.

THE COUNCIL SHOULD ADVISE ON THE PRINCIPLES OF SUBVENTION APPLICABLE TO SELECTED COURSES AND TO ELIGIBLE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS. IT SHOULD ALSO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS ON TRAINING ADULT EDUCATION TEACHERS, DEVELOPMENT OF TEACHING MATERIALS AND OTHER FACILITIES FOR THE PROVISION OF ADULT EDUCATION.

DR HO SAID THE NEED FOR A CO-ORDINATED, SYSTEMATIC DEVELOPMENT OF OPEN EDUCATION WAS IMMINENT. HOWEVER, WHETHER THE CONSORTIUM MODEL AS RECOMMENDED BY THE EDUCATION COMMISSION REPORT NO. 2 WAS THE MOST APPROPRIATE MECHANISM TO ACHIEVE THIS WAS OPEN TO DEBATE.

HE SAID IT WOULD BE UNREALISTIC AND PRESUMPTUOUS TO EXPECT THE CONSORTIUM TO TAKE OVER ALL THE COURSES NOW BEING OFFERED BY VARIOUS INSTITUTIONS AND AT THE SAME TIME BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN A HARMONIOUS RELATIONSHIP WITH THE EXISTING INSTITUTIONS IN THE FIELD OF ADULT EDUCATION.

HE EXPLAINED THAT THE MAJOR DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE PROPOSED COUNCIL AND THE CONSORTIUM WAS THAT THE COUNCIL WOULD NOT HAVE ANY EXECUTIVE FUNCTION.

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