XN000022-1994-06-20 — Page 8

MONDAY, JUNE 20, 1994

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ON THE WHOLE, RESPONDENTS INCLUDING SCHOOL SUPERVISORS, PRINCIPALS, TEACHERS, PARENTS AND PAST STUDENTS CONSIDERED THAT JOINING THE SCHEME WAS AN APPROPRIATE CHOICE FOR THEIR SCHOOL.

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ANNOUNCING THE RESULTS OF THE SURVEY TODAY (MONDAY), ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION (SCHOOLS), MR S M TSUI, SAID THE OVERALL RESULTS OF THE SURVEY WERE ENCOURAGING.

RESPONDENTS HAD MADE TANGIBLE PROGRESS IN SETTING UP A NEW MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK IN THEIR SCHOOLS.

MR TSUI NOTED THAT ALL PHASE ONE SCHOOLS HAD RESTRUCTURED THEIR SCHOOL MANAGEMENT COMMITTEES AND MANY HAD INCLUDED THEIR PRINCIPALS AND TEACHERS INTO THE COMMITTEE.

ALL OF THESE SCHOOLS HAD DRAWN UP THEIR ANNUAL SCHOOL PLAN IN WHICH SCHOOLS FORMULATED THEIR MISSION AND GOALS. MORE THAN 90 PER CENT OF THEM HAD STARTED IMPLEMENTING A FORMAL STAFF APPRAISAL SYSTEM.

IT WAS FOUND THAT EVERY PHASE ONE SCHOOL HAD DEVELOPED A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF SCHOOL POLICIES AND PROCEDURES. SCHOOLS IN GENERAL COULD HANDLE THE DEVOLVED RESPONSIBILITIES PROPERLY.

MR TSUI WAS GLAD THAT THE SMI SCHEME WAS GENERALLY ACCEPTED PHASE ONE SCHOOLS AS A MEANS TO IMPROVE THE MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE SCHOOLS AND TO ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION.

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THE SURVEY IDENTIFIED A NUMBER OF DIFFICULTIES IN IMPLEMENTING THE SCHEME.

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THESE INCLUDE TEACHERS NEED FOR MORE TIME TO ADAPT TO THE SCHEME; THE HUGE DEMAND ON LEADERSHIP SKILLS IN MIDDLE MANAGEMENT; AND WORRIES THAT IT WOULD NOT BE EASY TO SET UP A PARENT-TEACHER ASSOCIATION.

AT A MEETING LAST WEEK, THE SMI ADVISORY COMMITTEE ENDORSED THE FOLLOWING RECOMMENDATIONS MADE BY RESPONDENTS ON THE FUTURE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SMI SCHEME:

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SMI SCHOOLS SHOULD BE ADVISED TO DRAW UP REALISTIC WORK PLANS FOR PREPARATION OF THE ANNUAL SCHOOL PLAN OR SCHOO1. POLICY AND PROCEDURE MANUAL SO AS TO AVOID OVERLOADING TEACHERS. THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT SHOULD SET UP A RESOURCE CENTRE FOR KEEPING REFERENCE/TRAINING MATERIALS AND PROVIDE LOAN SERVICES TO SCHOOLS.

MORE TIMB SHOULD BE GIVEN TO NEW SMI SCHOOLS TO DEVELOP THE IR STAFF APPRAISAL SYSTEM AND TO CULTIVATE THE CONCEPTS OF ASSESSMENT OF TEACHERS' PERFORMANCE AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AMONG TEACHERS.

THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT SHOULD ASSIST SCHOOLS IN ORGANISING SCHOOL-BASED TRAINING FOR STAFF DEVELOPMENT DAYS. IT SHOULD PROVIDE MORE TRAINING FOR SENIOR TEACHERS AND SCHOOL HEADS ON LEADERSHIP AND DEVELOP MORE SCHOOL-BASED MANAGEMENT TRAINING PACKAGES/MATERIALS FOR SMI SCHOOLS.

SCHOOLS SHOULD