XN000022-1992-05-13 — Page 9

7

WEDNESDAY, MAY 13, 1992

DESPITE RECENT EXPRESSIONS OF CONCERN, IN THE CONTEXT OF THE DEBATE REGARDING THE REPEATER ALLOWANCE, OVER THE WORKLOAD OF TEACHERS, THE TEACHER: PUPIL RATIO IN HONG KONG HAS IMPROVED SIGNIFICANTLY OVER THE PAST DECADE IN BOTH PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS. THE RATIO FOR A STANDARD SECONDARY SCHOOL IS NOW 1:22, NOT COUNTING THE SEPARATE PROVISION OF SPLIT CLASS TEACHERS AND ADDITIONAL TEACHERS FOR SCHOOLS USING CHINESE AS THE MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION. THE CORRESPONDING RATIO FOR PRIMARY SCHOOLS IS 1:27. THESE LEVELS OF PROVISION PUT HONG KONG ON PAR WITH SINGAPORE AND TAIWAN, ALBEIT STILL ADMITTEDLY SOME WAY BEHIND JAPAN, THE UK AND THE USA. THEY ALSO MEAN THAT,

ALTHOUGH THE CLASS SIZE HAS REMAINED GENERALLY AT OR CLOSE TO 40, TEACHERS NOWADAYS HAVE FEWER ASSIGNED PERIODS, THUS ENABLING TO HANDLE THE EXTRA DEMANDS THAT MASS EDUCATION HAS BROUGHT INTO SCHOOLS.

THEM

ON TEACHER TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT, AN IMPRESSIVE RANGE OF 20 IN-SERVICE COURSES HAS BEEN OFFERED то HELP TEACHERS DEVELOP PROFESSIONALLY. SOME OF THESE COURSES HAVE BEEN MADE PRE-REQUISITES FOR PROMOTION. THROUGH ITS ADVISORY INSPECTORATE, THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT ADVISES AND ASSISTS TEACHERS ACTIVELY ON ALL MATTERS RELEVANT TO SUBJECT TEACHING IN SCHOOLS. THESE INCLUDE THE ISSUE OF CURRICULUM GUIDELINES TO SCHOOLS COVERING ALL LEVELS OF EDUCATION. IN-SERVICE REFRESHER COURSES ARE ALSO ORGANIZED TO PROVIDE INDUCTION FOR NEW TEACHERS AND TRAINING FOR SENIOR TEACHERS AND PANEL HEADS. FURTHERMORE, THE DEPARTMENT HAS ESTABLISHED 21 TEACHING AND RESOURCE CENTRES FOR DIFFERENT SUBJECTS IN VARIOUS LOCATIONS TO PROVIDE CENTRALISED SOURCES OF REFERENCE AND RESOURCE MATERIALS, AS WELL AS VENUES FOR INTERACTION AMONGST TEACHERS. AS A MAJOR INITIATIVE ΤΟ PROMOTE PROFESSIONALISM AMONGST TEACHERS, THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT HAS SUPPORTED THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE HONG KONG TEACHERS' CENTRE WHICH WAS OPENED TO ALL TEACHERS IN JUNE 1989. IT IS A MULTI-FACETED, MULTI- PURPOSE CENTRE MANAGED BY A REPRESENTATIVE BODY OF TEACHER ORGANISATIONS IN HONG KONG. IT AIMS TO PROMOTE CONTINUOUS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND ENRICHMENT AMONG TEACHERS, AND TO FOSTER AMONG THEM GREATER SENSE OF UNITY AND PROFESSIONALISM IN A FRIENDLY, ENCOURAGING, AND NON-HIERARCHIAL ENVIRONMENT.

A

WITH REGARD TO GRADUATE TEACHING POSITIONS WITHIN PUBLIC SECTOR SCHOOLS, THE GOVERNMENT'S CURRENT POLICY IS TO PROVIDE FOR 70% OF SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHING POSTS TO BE FILLED BY DEGREE HOLDERS; THE REMAINING 30%, TOGETHER WITH ALI, PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHING POSTS, ARE FILLED BY NON-GRADUATE TEACHERS. AN IMPROVEMENT ALREADY MADE IS THE PROVISION OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR SOME PRIMARY SCHOOL HEADMASTERS то UNDERGO STUDIES FOR THE B.A. IN PRIMARY EDUCATION AT THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG. FURTHER IMPROVEMENTS IN TERMS OF THE PROVISION OF NEW GRADUATE POSITIONS ARE THE SUBJECT OF CONSIDERATION BY THE EDUCATION COMMISSION.

I NOW TURN TO THE QUESTION OF FUNDING. THE IMPROVEMENTS I HAVE MENTIONED WILL CONTINUE TO BE SUPPORTED AS PART OF THE NORMAL ACTIVITIES OF THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT. AS A RESULT, THE UNIT COST OF EDUCATING A PUPIL WILL INCREASE, NOT DECLINE. HOWEVER, THE RATE AT WHICH INCREASES CAN BE ACHIEVED IS OFTEN NOT TOTALLY DEPENDENT ON A WILLINGNESS ΤΟ SPEND, BUT ON HOW WORTHWHILE INITIATIVES CAN IMPLEMENTED THROUGH THE SYSTEM.

BE

/SIR, I