XN000022-1987-02-18 — Page 36

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1987

POWERFUL COORDINATING BODY NEEDED FOR IMPROVED EDUCATION

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THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD CONSIDER THE PROPOSAL MADE IN THE 1982 REPORT OF THE VISITING PANEL OF EDUCATION EXPERTS ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A COORDINATING COMMISSION TO IMPROVE THE PRESENTLY +FRAGMENTED AND UN-COORDINATED+ STRUCTURE OF EDUCATION SYSTEM IN HONG KONG.

THE CALL WAS MADE BY THE HON ROSANNA TAM TODAY (WEDNESDAY) WHEN SHE SPOKE IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL DURING THE ADJOURNMENT DEBATE ON THE EDUCATION COMMISSION REPORT NO 2.

QUOTING THE 1982 REPORT+A PERSPECTIVE ON EDUCATION IN HONG KONG+ --BY THE VISITING PANEL, MRS TAM SAID SHE AGREED THAT +EXCESSIVE ADMINISTRATION AND INADEQUATE PLANNING+ WAS THE CRUX OF THE PROBLEM WITH HONG KONG'S EDUCATION SYSTEM.

SHE SAID SHE WAS IN FAVOUR OF AN EDUCATION COMMISSION TO BE ESTABLISHED ON TOP OF EXISTING EDUCATIONAL COMMITTEES AND BODIES TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR PLANNING AND FORMULATION OF POLICIES IN HONG KONG.

+DESPITE CONSIDERABLE IMPROVEMENTS WHICH HAVE ALREADY BEEN MADE IN THE PAST 10 YEARS GENERALLY, THE EDUCATION SYSTEM IN HONG KONG HAS CONTINUED TO BE DISADVANTAGED BY THE LACK OF FRAMEWORK CONCERNED WITH OVERALL COORDINATION AND POLICY-MAKING,

MRS TAM SAID SHE REGRETTED THAT THE EXISTING EDUCATION COMMISSION WAS NOT GIVEN ANY HIGHER STATUS OVER OTHER EDUCATIONAL COMMITTEES AND BODIES.

BESIDES THE COMPRESSION'S TERMS OF REFERENCE PROVIDED MERELY FOR A CO-ORDINATING ROLE, IT WAS IN NO POSITION TO LEAD THE OTHER COMMITTEES.

+HENCE, ITS STATUS AND POWER ARE A FAR CRY FROM THAT TO BE ACCORDED TO THE PROPOSED CO-ORDINATING BODY AS RECOMMENDED BY THE REPORT.

+IN ACTUAL PRACTICE, THE COMMISSION MAY ALSO FIND ITSELF DIFFICULT EVEN TO ACHIEVE EFFECTIVE CO-ORDINATION AMONG THOSE OTHER EDUCATIONAL BODIES,+ MRS TAM SAID.

SHE SAID THAT THERE WAS A NEED TO CONDUCT AN OVERALL REVIEW OF THE STRUCTURE OF THE EDUCATION SYSTEM OF HONG KONG.

+ BUT I ALSO FEEL THAT SHOULD THE PRESENT STRUCTURE FOR COORDINATION AND FORMULATION OF POLICY CONTINUE WITHOUT IMPROVEMENT, THE EFFECTIVENESS OF AN OVERALL REVIEW COULD BE GREATLY WEAKENED, SHE ADDED.

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