XN000022-1993-05-26 — Page 31

17

WEDNESDAY, MAY 26, 1993

PERCENTAGE OF SUITABLY QUALIFIED ENGLISH TEACHERS IMPROVED

THE PERCENTAGE OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHERS IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS WHO WERE UNIVERSITY GRADUATES IN EITHER ENGLISH LANGUAGE OR ENGLISH LITERATURE HAS INCREASED FROM 30 PER CENT IN 1991 TO 33 PER CENT IN THE CURRENT SCHOOL YEAR, THE SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER, MR JOHN CHAN, SAID.

THE PERCENTAGE OF THOSE WHO HAD RECEIVED PROFESSIONAL TRAINING IN EDUCATION HAS ALSO INCREASED FROM 22 PER CENT TO 24 PER CENT DURING THE SAME PERIOD, HE ADDED.

IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON TIMOTHY HA WING-HO IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY), MR CHAN NOTED THAT SECONDARY SCHOOLS, IN RECRUITING STAFF SPECIALISED IN THE TEACHING OF ENGLISH, GAVE PREFERENCE TO GRADUATES FROM THE COLLEGES OF EDUCATION AND UNIVERSITIES WHO HAD MAJORED IN ENGLISH.

EXPATRIATE ENGLISH

SCHOOLS CAN ALSO RECRUIT THREE QUALIFIED LANGUAGE TEACHERS LOCALLY UNDER THE CODES OF AID, OR UP TO TWO SUCH TEACHERS UNDER THE EXPATRIATE ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHER SCHEME.

ON TRAINING, THE GOVERNMENT HAS INTRODUCED A NUMBER OF MEASURES SPECIFICALLY TO UPGRADE THE TEACHING OF ENGLISH AS A SUBJECT.

THESE INCLUDE A SIX-WEEK IMMERSION ENGLISH COURSE IN BRITAIN FOR PRE-SERVICE COLLEGE OF EDUCATION GRADUATES MAJORING IN ENGLISH; 16-WEEK FULL-TIME REFRESHER COURSE FOR SERVING GRADUATE AND NON- GRADUATE SECONDARY ENGLISH TEACHERS, FOLLOWED BY A FOUR-WEEK IMMERSION ENGLISH COURSE IN BRITAIN; AND A 12-WEEK REFRESHER COURSE FOR SECONDARY SCHOOL PANEL CHAIRPERSONS OF ENGLISH, WHICH INCLUDE A FOUR- WEEK UK IMMERSION COURSE ELEMENT.

IN ADDITION, THE ADVISORY INSPECTORATE OF THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT RUNS SEMINARS AND OTHER SHORT COURSES ON SUBJECT CONTENT AND METHODOLOGY FOR SERVING AND NEWLY-RECRUITED ENGLISH TEACHERS.

MR CHAN ALSO TOLD THE COUNCIL THAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS COMMITTED то IMPROVING THE TEACHING ENVIRONMENT IN SCHOOLS AND ENHANCING THE PROFESSIONAL CAREERS OF TEACHERS SO AS TO MAKE TEACHING A MORE REWARDING AND RESPECTED PROFESSION.

IN THIS REGARD, HE SAID, THE GOVERNMENT HAD BEGUN IMPLEMENTING IMPORTANT RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE EDUCATION COMMISSION'S REPORT NO. 5 WELL AS IMPLEMENTING IN SEPTEMBER A HOUSING ASSISTANCE SCHEME FOR AIDED TEACHERS TO HELP ENCOURAGE THEM TO STAY IN THE PROFESSION.

AS

0

/18