XN000022-1987-02-18 — Page 27

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1987

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NEED TO RECOGNISE I-LEVEL CURRICULUM

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THE HON CHAN YING-LUN EXPRESSED CONCERN TODAY (WEDNESDAY) WHETHER THE INTERMEDIATE-LEVEL CURRICULUM PROPOSED BY THE EDUCATION COMMISSION WOULD GAIN RECOGNITION, ESPECIALLY BY LOCAL TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS.

SPEAKING DURING THE ADJOURNMENT DEBATE ON THE EDUCATION COMMISSION REPORT NO 2 IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, MR CHAN STRESSED THAT THE MATTER OF RECOGNITION WAS THE KEY FACTOR TO THE SUCCESS OF SIXTH FORM EDUCATION REFORM.

FOR STUDENTS TO BE WILLING TO TAKE UP THE I-LEVEL CURRICULUM ESPECIALLY THOSE PRACTICAL SUBJECTS RECOMMENDED BY THE REPORT WHICH THE COMMUNITY USED TO ATTACH NO IMPORTANCE -- A CERTAIN DEGREE OF RECOGNITION MUST BE OBTAINED, HE SAID.

MR CHAN ALSO NOTED THAT TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS STILL CARRIED THE MISCONCEPTION THAT STUDENTS OF GRAMMAR SCHOOLS WERE BETTER THAN THOSE WHO TOOK UP PRACTICAL COURSES.

HE SAID THE PROPOSED I-LEVEL CURRICULUM SHOULD NOT BE IMPLEMENTED UNTIL THE RECOGNITION PROBLEM WAS SOLVED.

MR CHAN SAID THAT HONG KONG'S SECONDARY EDUCATION COULD NOT REMAIN FOREVER WITHIN THE MAJOR MODEL OF GRAMMAR SCHOOLS.

+HONG KONG SHOULD DEVELOP AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, AN INTEGRATED SECONDARY CURRICULUM WHICH COMPRISES BOTH COMMON ACADEMIC SUBJECTS AND PRACTICAL SUBJECTS.

+THE TECHNICAL EDUCATION OF PRE-VOCATIONAL SCHOOLS ALREADY PROVIDES A FOUNDATION FOR US IT IS MOST APPROPRIATE TO EXTEND THIS MODEL TO TECHNICAL SECONDARY SCHOOLS AND GRAMMAR SCHOOLS,+ HE SAID.

NOW THAT THE UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY WAS BEING ESTABLISHED AND THE EDUCATION COMMISSION WAS GOING TO INCLUDE THE NINE-YEAR FREE AND COMPULSORY EDUCATION IN ITS NEXT REVIEW, MR CHAN SAID HE THOUGHT SERIOUS CONSIDERATION SHOULD BE GIVEN TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN INTEGRATED CURRICULUM,

WITH REGARD TO THE ENHANCEMENT OF TECHNICAL EDUCATION, HE PROPOSED THAT TECHNICAL EDUCATION CENTRES SHOULD BE SET UP IN VARIOUS DISTRICTS.

MORE ADVANCED EQUIPMENT SHOULD BE PURCHASED AND PROFESSIONAL TEACHERS SHOULD BE APPOINTED TO GIVE LECTURES ON TECHNICAL COURSES, HE SUGGESTED.

MR CHAN SAID HE BELIEVED THAT THE TEACHING EFFECT IN THESE EDUCATION CENTRES WOULD BE MUCH BETTER THAN OPERATING TECHNICAL COURSES IN INDIVIDUAL SECONDARY SCHOOLS.

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