XN000022-1987-02-18 — Page 35

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1987

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PRESENT STRUCTURE MUST BE REAPPRAISED

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THE PRESENT DISPARITY OF TERTIARY ADMISSION LEVELS IS PRODUCING HARMFUL REPERCUSSIONS WHICH ARE AFFECTING HONG KONG'S SCHOOL STUDENTS FROM THEIR EARLIEST FORMS, PROFESSOR THE HON POON CHUNG-KWONG SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

SPEAKING DURING THE ADJOURNMENT DEBATE ON THE +EDUCATION COMMISSION REPORT NO. 2+, PROF POON POINTED OUT THAT STUDENTS SEEKING TO FURTHER THEIR STUDIES AT TERTIARY LEVEL FACED A NUMBER OF PUBLIC EXAMINATIONS.

FURTHERMORE, THE PRESENT DISUNITY OF ADMISSION LEVELS TO TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS TEMPTED MANY STUDENTS TO ENHANCE THEIR CHANCES OF SUCCESS BY UNDERTAKING SIMULTANEOUSLY TWO CURRICULA LEADING TO TWO ENTIRELY SEPARATE EXAMINATIONS, HE ADDED.

PROF POON THEREFORE CALLED FOR A COMPLETE REAPPRAISAL OF THE EDUCATION STRUCTURE OF HONG KONG AS A WHOLE, IN PARTICULAR THE INTERFACE BETWEEN SECONDARY AND TERTIARY LEVELS.

+ IN ORDER TO RATIONALISE THE SECONDARY SCHOOL CURRICULUM AND TO ACHIEVE AN ATMOSPHERE BENEFICIAL TO A THOROUGH AND BROAD LEARNING EXPERIENCE BY REDUCING THE PRESSURE IMPOSED BY A SUCCESSION OF EXAMINATIONS, THE FUNDAMENTAL STEP IS TO UNIFY THE LEVEL OF ADMISSION TO TERTIARY EDUCATION BY MEANS OF ONE QUALIFYING EXAMINATION THAT SUITS THE PURPOSE OF ALL THE HIGHER EDUCATION ESTABLISHMENTS, HE SAID.

PROF POON ALSO ADDED A SHORT FOOTNOTE TO HIS SPEECH DURING THE FIRST DAY'S DEBATE ON THE REPORT ON JANUARY 21 WHEN HE PROPOSED THE USE OF PUTONG HUA IN THE CLASSROOM, WHICH HE SAID HAD SINCE GENERATED A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF PUBLIC COMMENT.

CLARIFYING HIS VIEW, HE SAID HE SUGGESTED THAT PUTONGHUA BE MADE A COMPULSORY SUBJECT AT PRIMARY SCHOOL LEVEL, NOT THE MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION IN THE FIRST INSTANCE.

+ IF A PUPIL HAS A CONSTANT EXPOSURE TO PUTONGHUA OVER HIS SIX YEARS OF PRIMARY EDUCATION, I BELIEVE IT WILL BE POSSIBLE FOR HIM TO LEARN IN PUTONG HUA BY THE TIME HE STARTS SECONDARY SCHOOL, + HE SAID.

+AS IN ALL CASES OF CHANGES OF THIS NATURE, I DO NOT EXPECT THIS TO TAKE PLACE OVERNIGHT AS HAS BEEN SUGGESTED BY SOME CRITICS BUT I THINK GIVEN A CAREFULLY PHASED PROGRAMME THE USE OF PUTONGHUA IN THE CLASSROOM IS BY NO MEANS A REMOTE POSSIBILITY, HE ADDED.

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