XN000022-1987-02-18 — Page 25

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1987

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MR CHEN, CONVENOR OF THE AD HOC GROUP STUDYING THE REPORT, SAID MEMBERS HAD DISCUSSED THE VARIOUS RECOMMENDATIONS MADE BY THE COMMISSION, AND IN PARTICULAR THE PROPOSAL FOR CREATING A NEW INTERMEDIATE-LEVEL EXAMINATION.

HE SAID THEY HAD APPROACHED THE ISSUE IN THE CONTEXT OF THE OVERALL EDUCATION SYSTEM IN HONG KONG AND HAD EXAMINED THE ROLE THAT SHOULD BE PLAYED BY SIXTH FORM EDUCATION UNDER THIS SYSTEM.

IN VEIW OF THE UNCERTAINTIES CAUSED BY THE UNIVERSITY'S PROPOSAL, MR CHEN SAID THE AD HOC GROUP DECIDED THAT INSTEAD OF FOCUSSING ITS ATTENTION ON THE APPROPRIATE FORM OF SIXTH FORM EDUCATION AND ITS EFFECT ON THE DURATION OF DEGREE LEVEL COURSES, IT WOULD GIVE A MUCH BROADER CONSIDERATION TO THE ENTIRE EDUCATION SYSTEM.

SUMMAR ISING THE VIEWS OF THE MAJORITY OF MEMBERS, MR CHEN SAID THEY FELT THE PROPOSED 1-LEVEL EXAMINATION SHOULD NOT BE IMPLEMENTED AT THE PRESENT STAGE AND THAT THERE SHOULD BE A COMMON ENTRY POINT FOR LOCAL DEGREE LEVEL COURSES.

RATHER THAN CONSIDERING SIXTH FORM EDUCATION IN ISOLATION, THE ADMINISTRATION SHOULD TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONDUCT A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF THE OVERALL EDUCATION SYSTEM FROM PRE-PRIMARY TO TERTIARY LEVEL AND THAT THE PRESENT POLICY-MAKING MACHINERY FOR EDUCATION MATTERS SHOULD BE REVIEWED, HE SAID.

+ IT APPEARS WHAT IS NEEDED IS THAT A CENTRAL BODY VESTED WITH MORE DECISION-MAKING POWER SHOULD BE ESTABLISHED TO CO-ORDINATE AND OVERSEE THE WORK OF THE VARIOUS AUTONOMOUS BODIES,+ HE ADDED.

MR CHEN ALSO COMMENTED AS AN INDIVIDUAL MEMBER ON THE PROPOSAL FOR A COMMON ENTRY POINT FOR DEGREE COURSES RUN BY LOCAL TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS.

HE RECALLED THAT HE HAD SPOKEN ON THE SUBJECT ALMOST NINE YEARS AGO DURING THE DEBATE ON THE GREEN PAPER ON SENIOR SECONDARY AND TERTIARY EDUCATION.

HE SAID HE HAD PROPOSED AT THE TIME THAT THERE SHOULD BE A COMMON ENTRY POINT FOR LOCAL TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS BY ADOPTING THE HONG KONG CERTIFICATE OF EDUCATION EXAMINATION AS THE EXAMINATION TO SELECT SUITABLE STUDENTS FOR ENTRANCE TO THE UNIVERSITIES.

/QUOTING HIS