XN000022-1993-02-03 — Page 22

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 1993

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NO COMPLAINTS AGAINST SCHOOLS USING UNSUITABLE TEXTBOOKS

ΤΟ

EDUCATION DEPARTMENT INSPECTORS VISIT SCHOOLS REGULARLY INSPECT TEACHERS' WORK AND OBSERVE LESSONS AND OFFER ADVICE ON CURRICULUM AND TEACHING, THE SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER, JOHN CHAN, SAID.

THROUGH

MR

THESE VISITS, HE NOTED, SCHOOLS USING UNSUITABLE TEXTBOOKS CAN BE IDENTIFIED AND MEASURES TAKEN To RECTIFY THE SITUATION.

IN

IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON ERIC LJ KA-CHEUNG THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY}, MR CHAN SAID THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT HAD NOT RECEIVED ANY COMPLAINTS IN THE PAST FIVE YEARS AGAINST SCHOOLS REQUIRING PUPILS TO USE TEXTBOOKS COMPILED FOR A DIFFERENT LEVEL.

IT

"IF THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT RECEIVES ANY SUCH COMPLAINTS, WILL CHECK THE TEXTBOOK LIST OF THE SCHOOL CONCERNED TO FIND OUT WHETHER BOOKS OF AN UNSUITABLE LEVEL HAVE BEEN FORMALLY ADOPTED BY THE SCHOOL," HE SAID.

"EDUCATION DEPARTMENT INSPECTORS WILL ALSO VISIT THE SCHOOL ΤΟ CHECK WHETHER UNSUITABLE BOOKS HAVE BEEN USED BY TEACHERS IN PRACTICE, EVEN THOUGH THEY MAY NOT HAVE BEEN INCLUDED FORMALLY IN THE SCHOOL'S TEXTBOOK LIST."

MR CHAN SAID IF THE COMPLAINT WAS SUBSTANTIATED, THE SCHOOL WOULD BE ASKED TO STOP USING THE UNSUITABLE BOOKS, FAILING WHICH THE SCHOOL MANAGEMENT WOULD BE GUILTY OF AN OFFENCE UNDER REGULATION 92(8) OF THE EDUCATION REGULATIONS AND BE LIABLE UPON CONVICTION TO A FINE OF $5,000 AND TO IMPRISONMENT FOR ONE YEAR.

MR CHAN ALSO NOTED THAT THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT REGULARLY ISSUED RECOMMENDED TEXTBOOK LISTS WHICH PROVIDED A RANGE OF CHOICES OF TEXTBOOKS SUITABLE FOR EACH LEVEL OF EDUCATION.

SCHOOLS ARE ADVISED TO SELECT TEXTBOOKS FROM THESE LISTS AND THOSE WHICH CHOOSE BOOKS OUTSIDE THEM ARE NORMALLY REQUIRED TO JUSTIFY THEIR CHOICE, HE ADDED.

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