XN000022-1988-05-30 — Page 15

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MONDAY, MAY 30, 1988

THE NUMBER OF PUPILS ENTERING SECONDARY 6 IN ANY PARTICULAR YEAR WILL DEPEND ON HOW MANY ENTERED SECONDARY 4 TWO YEARS EARLIER AND THEN SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED THEIR HKCE.

STUDENTS WHO HAVE BEEN EDUCATED ENTIRELY IN THE MEDIUM OF CHINESE WOULD FIND IT HARD TO TACKLE THE PRESENT SIXTH FORM WHICH

COURSE PREPARES CANDIDATES FOR THE ENGLISH MEDIUM A LEVEL

EXAMINATIONS.

"TO REMOVE THIS DIFFICULTY, A LEVELS WILL BE AVAILABLE CHINESE AS WELL AS IN ENGLISH. THIS WILL ENSURE THAT STUDENTS 'CHINESE MIDDLE' SCHOOLS ARE NOT DISADVANTAGED BY DIFFICULTIES WHEN TAKING A LEVELS," THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

IN

IN THE LANGUAGE

HE POINTED OUT THAT A LEVEL COURSES IN CHINESE MIGHT BE ABLE TO START AS EARLY AS 1990 IF SUITABLE STUDY MATERIALS COULD BE PREPARED IN TIME. THE CHINESE TEXTBOOKS COMMITTEE HAS BEEN ASKED TO ADVISE WHETHER THIS TIMING IS PRACTICAL,

THE EXISTING SIXTH FORM COURSE HAS BEEN OVER SPECIALISED, AND IN REPORT NO. 2 THE BROADENING THE COURSE IN TWO WAYS.

CRITICISED FOR BEING COMMISSION RECOMMENDED

THE FIRST IS TO PROVIDE A LEVEL COURSES IN NEW SUBJECTS OF A TECHNICAL AND PRACTICAL NATURE, WHICH WOULD BE ESPECIALLY USEFUL ΤΟ PREVOCATIONAL SCHOOLS.

TO

THE SECOND IS TO INTRODUCE A NEW TYPE OF COURSE, EQUIVALENT HALF AN A LEVEL COURSE, AND LEADING TO A NEW EXAMINATION CALLED THE INTERMEDIATE OR "I" LEVEL.

THE COMMISSION ORIGINALLY PROPOSED THAT THE I LEVEL SHOULD BE TAKEN AFTER ONE YEAR. THE INTENTION WAS TO PROVIDE AN EXIT QUALIFICATION FOR STUDENTS WISHING TO LEAVE SCHOOL AFTER SECONDARY 6.

BUT THE PUBLIC RESPONSE DID NOT SUPPORT THE NEED FOR AN ADDITIONAL EXIT QUALIFICATION WHICH MANY BELIEVED WOULD WEAKEN THE INTEGRITY OF THE TWO-YEAR SIXTH FORM. THE COMMISSION THEREFORE RE-EXAMINED ITS PROPOSALS AND CONCLUDED THAT THE I LEVEL SHOULD BE TAKEN AFTER TWO YEARS, AT THE SAME TIME AS A LEVELS.

THE AIM OF THE

COMMISSION'S PROPOSALS IS TO ACHIEVE AN INTEGRATED, BROAD SIXTH FORM CURRICULUM, CAPABLE OF FLEXIBLE APPLICATION.

"TO ACHIEVE THIS AIM SEVERAL POSSIBLE TYPES OF I LEVEL COURSE ARE ENVISAGED. SOME ARE LIKELY TO BE DEVELOPED FROM EXISTING A LEVELS, WHILE OTHERS WILL BE SUBJECTS NEW TO THE SIXTH FORM, SUCH AS COURSES OF A GENERAL NATURE IN ARTS AND SCIENCES WHICH COULD HELP AVOID OVER-SPECIALISATION, OR NEW COURSES IN PRACTICAL AND TECHNICAL

SUBJECTS.

"IT WILL