XN000022-1989-12-13 — Page 37

35

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 1989

THAT THE

POPULATION GROWTH STANDARDS

THE

IN

BUT MR LI WAS QUICK TO POINT OUT FACTOR HAD SOMETIMES BEEN MISSED, FOR EXAMPLE THE IMPACT ON

THE OF

VERY LARGE INCREASE IN STUDENT INTAKE FOLLOWING

JUNIOR SECONDARY EDUCATION INTRODUCTION OF FREE AND COMPULSORY

1978.

MAJOR "ANOTHER

BEEN

THE

BY

FACTOR AFFECTING STANDARDS HAS ECONOMIC GROWTH OF HONG KONG WHICH HAS LED TO A CONCOMTIANT DEMAND

AND EMPLOYEES WITH TRADE, INDUSTRY AND THE MEDIA FOR SKILLED LABOUR COMPETENCE IN BOTH CHINESE AND ENGLISH.

"THIS HAS MADE EXTRAORDINARY DEMANDS ON THE SCHOOLS," HE ADDED.

YEARS TO IMPROVE

TO REVIEW THE MEASURES INTRODUCED IN RECENT THE USE OF CHINESE AND ENGLISH, AN EDUCATION DEPARTMENT WORKING WAS SET UP IN DECEMBER LAST YEAR.

THE

GROUP

THE GROUP LATER CAME UP WITH SOME SIGNIFICANT RECOMMENDATIONS IN RELATION TO THE MEDIA OF INSTRUCTION,

PLACING OF SECONDARY OR ENGLISH AS THE PUPILS IN CLASSES WHICH MIGHT USE EITHER CHINESE

AND ASSESSING OF LEVELS AND MEDIA OF INSTRUCTION, AND THE SETTING TARGETS OF ACHIEVEMENT.

LANGUAGE THE CONFERENCE WHICH CARRIES THE THEME "LANGUAGE USE,

THE TEACHING AND

CURRICULUM", IS ORGANISED BY THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT'S INSTITUTE OF LANGUAGE IN EDUCATION.

MORE THAN 260 PARTICIPANTS FROM 21 COUNTRIES AND HONG KONG TAKING PART IN THE THREE-DAY EVENT WHICH WILL LAST UNTIL FRIDAY.

A

ARE

PANEL

IN ENGLISH SOME 140 PAPERS

AND CHINESE WILL BE PRESENTED DURING THE CONFERENCE. THERE WILL ALSO BE FOUR WORKSHOPS AND DISCUSSION ON LANGUAGE PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTING LANGUAGE USE.

SCHOOLS NEED GREATER DIVERSITY TO MEET CHALLENGES

* * * * *

THE CHALLENGES WHICH EDUCATION WILL PRESENT IN HONG KONG DURING THE NEXT FEW YEARS WILL BE SUCH AS TO REQUIRE A VERY MARKED SENSE OF PURPOSE AND DIRECTION ON THE PART OF ADMINISTRATORS, SCHOOL HEADS, TEACHERS AND THE SUPPORTING PROFESSIONS, AS WELL AS THEIR UNFLAGGING DETERMINATION.

THIS WAS STATED BY THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION, MR JOHN WINFIELD, AT THE OPENING OF AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON "SCHOOL-BASED INNOVATIONS : LOOKING FORWARD ΤΟ THE 1990'3" TODAY ( WEDNESDAY).

MR WINFIELD SAID THAT PARALLEL WITH THE MOST SIGNIFICANT POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS IN HONG KONG'S HISTORY, THE EDUCATION SYSTEM WOULD NEED RENEWED VIGOUR AND MUCH GREATER FLEXIBILITY IN THE NEXT DECADE.

/"IT WILL