XN000022-1994-01-10 — Page 8

MONDAY, JANUARY 10, 1994

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BILL TO SET UP HK INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION

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A BILL SEEKING TO SET UP THE HONG KONG INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION (HKIED) AS AN AUTONOMOUS BODY WILL BE PUBLISHED IN THE GAZETTE ON FRIDAY (JANUARY 14).

THE NEW UNITARY INSTITUTE WILL SUBSUME THE EXISTING COLLEGES OF ARE EDUCATION AND THE INSTITUTE OF LANGUAGE IN EDUCATION (ILE), WHICH CURRENTLY MANAGED BY THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT AS PART OF THE CIVIL SERVICE.

HKIED THE

PROVIDES

BILL STIPULATES THE POWERS AND FUNCTIONS OF THE INSTITUTE,

FOR A COUNCIL AS ITS GOVERNING BODY AND THE APPOINTMENT

AND OF AN ACADEMIC BOARD TO PLAN ACADEMIC PROGRAMMES REGULATE ADMISSIONS AND EXAMINATIONS.

TO

THE BILL FURTHER PROPOSES THAT THE GOVERNOR SHOULD BE THE PRESIDENT AND HEAD OF THE INSTITUTE, WHO WOULD APPOINT THE CHAIRMAN AND MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL.

WHO

MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL WOULD INCLUDE THE DIRECTOR AND DEPUTY THE ACADEMIC DIRECTORS OF THE HKIED, PUBLIC OFFICERS, NOMINEES FROM BOARD, STAFF REPRESENTATIVES, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC

HAVE EXPERIENCE IN COMMERCE, INDUSTRY OR THE PROFESSIONS AND THOSE WHO HAVE EXPERIENCE IN HIGHER EDUCATION EITHER IN HONG KONG OR ELSEWHERE.

A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID TODAY (MONDAY) THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE HKIED FOLLOWED RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE EDUCATION COMMISSION NO. 5.

REPORT

"THE OVERALL OBJECTIVE IS TO UPGRADE THE QUALITY OF TRACHER 11 HE EDUCATION AND CONTINUOUS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF TEACHERS, EXPLAINED, STRESSING THAT BETTER TRAINED AND QUALIFIED TEACHERS ESSENTIAL FOR IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION IN HONG KONG.

WERE

EXISTING SOON

THE HKIED

OF WILL INITIALLY FOCUS ON THE UPGRADING COURSES WHILE PREPARING TO OFFER DEGREE COURSES IN SOME AREAS AS AS POSSIBLE.

IN

THE CURRENT PLAN IS FOR THE INSTITUTE TO TAKE OVER THE EXISTING COLLEGES AND THE ILE AND OFFER ITS OWN ACADEMIC PROGRAMMES SEPTEMBER 1994.

THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE HKIED WILL BE AN IMPORTANT MILESTONE IN THE HISTORY OF TEACHER EDUCATION IN HONG KONG.

THE SPOKESMAN NOTED THE PROVISIONAL GOVERNING COUNCIL, APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR LAST JANUARY, HAD BEEN MAKING SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS

SETTING UP THE INSTITUTE. IN

IT HAS

THE APPOINTED

FIRST

DIRECTOR

ADMINISTRATIVE AND ACADEMIC

STAFF.

AND

IS RECRUITING OTHER KEY

"IT HAS GOT TO THE STAGE WHERE IT IS NECESSARY TO INCORPORATE THE NEW INSTITUTION AS A STATUTORY BODY NOW," THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

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