XN000022-1987-01-21 — Page 23

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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 1987

*THE ENTIRE OPEN EDUCATION PROGRAMME AT TERTIARY LEVEL

SHOULD HAVE MULTIPLE EXIT POINTS INCLUDING CERTIFICATES, DIPLOMA, DEGREE, SECOND DEGREE AND ADVANCED DIPLOMA LEVEL TO CATER FOR THE CHOICE OF STUDENTS,+ HE SAID.

MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL, HE SAID, THE EXIT QUALIFICATIONS SHOULD BE RECOGNISED AS FAR AS POSSIBLE AS EQUIVALENT TO STANDARD UNIVERSITY QUALIFICATIONS AND THOSE WHO HAD ACQUIRED SUCH QUALIFICATIONS SHOULD BE GIVEN EXACTLY THE SAME ENTRY POINT WHEN THEY WERE OFFERED APPOINTMENT.

PROPER TEACHER TRAINING IMPORTANT FACTOR

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TEACHER QUALITY AND PROPER PREPARATION OF TEACHERS FOR THE JOB WERE IMPORTANT FACTORS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF EDUCATION, THE HON PAULINE NG SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

SPEAKING DURING THE ADJOURNMENT DEBATE ON THE EDUCATION COMMISSION REPORT NO 2, MRS NG SAID THAT EFFORTS IN EXPANDING CHANNELS OF EDUCATION WOULD BE COMPLETELY SPOILED WITHOUT A COMMITTED AND QUALIFIED TEACHING STAFF.

SHE NOTED THAT EDUCATION HAD DIVERSIFIED IN RECENT YEARS TO MEET THE DEMANDS OF HONG KONG AS A COMMERCIAL AND FINANCIAL CENTRE, RESULTING IN TECHNICAL AND COMMERCIAL STUDIES BEING OFFERED IN BOTH SECONDARY SCHOOLS AND TECHNICAL INSTITUTES.

HOWEVER, SHE SAID THERE WAS ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT IN THE QUALITY OF TEACHERS.

SHE SAID THAT NON-GRADUATE TEACHERS FROM THE HONG KONG TECHNICAL TEACHERS' COLLEGE (HKTTC) REMAINED THE MAIN SOURCE OF SUPPLY FOR TEACHERS OF COMMERCIAL SUBJECTS UP TO FORM 5 BUT SHE FELT THE QUALITY OF SUCH TEACHERS SHOULD BE COMPARABLE TO THAT OF GRADUATE TEACHERS TEACHING GENERAL SUBJECTS.

MRS NG WELCOMED THE REPORT'S RECOMMENDATION WHICH WOULD ENABLE ALL GRADUATE TEACHERS TO BE TRAINED BUT SUGGESTED THAT THERE SHOULD BE SIMILAR TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES FOR NON-GRADUATE TEACHERS TEACHING COMMERCIAL SUBJECTS UP TO FORM 5 LEVEL.

/+THIS WOULD