XN000022-1994-09-22 — Page 13

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 1994

SUCCESSFUL PROGRAMME FOR TEACHER EDUCATION

OF

AN APPROPRIATE INFRASTRUCTURE OF POLICIES AND INSTITUTIONS PLUS THE SENSE OF PROFESSIONALISM AND SHARED MISSION OF THOSE WORKING IN THE HONG KONG INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION (HKIED) AND IN OTHER SECTORS THE EDUCATION SYSTEM ARE TWO ESSENTIAL PRECONDITIONS FOR A SUCCESSFUL PROGRAMME OF TEACHER EDUCATION.

THIS WAS STATED TODAY (THURSDAY) BY THE SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER, MR MICHAEL LEUNG, WHEN HE ADDRESSED THE FIRST ASSEMBLY OF THE NEW HKIED, WHICH HE DESCRIBED AS AN OCCASION MARKING THE BEGINNING OF A NEW ERA FOR TEACHER EDUCATION.

LEUNG POINTED OUT THAT GETTING THE EDUCATIONAL

RIGHT WAS ONE OF THE GOVERNMENT'S

MR INFRASTRUCTURE RESPONSIBILITIES.

MAIN

"THE GOVERNMENT'S TASK IS TO FORMULATE POLICIES WHICH HAVE WIDE COMMUNITY SUPPORT, DEVELOP A SUITABLE INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK, AND PROVIDE THE RESOURCES WHICH ENABLE EDUCATORS TO GO ABOUT THEIR WORK EFFECTIVELY," HE SAID.

FOR

HE NOTED THAT BY THE TIME THE EDUCATION COMMISSION CAME то PREPARE REPORT NO. 5, IT WAS CLEAR THAT THE OLD INFRASTRUCTURE TEACHER EDUCATION COULD NO LONGER RESPOND TO RISING EXPECTATIONS.

AS LONG AS THE FOUR COLLEGES OF EDUCATION AND INSTITUTE OF LANGUAGE IN EDUCATION REMAINED PART OF THE CIVIL SERVICE, THEIR ACTIVITIES WERE BOUND BY THE SAMB ADMINISTRATIVE CONSTRAINTS THAT APPLY TO ALL OTHER GOVERNMENT ACTIVITIES.

J

"AS THE COMMISSION STATED IN ITS REPORT NO. 5 ACADEMIC QUALITY CAN BEST DEVELOP OUTSIDE A CIVIL SERVICE CONTEXT, HE ADDED.

TAKEN

中비

WAS IN

MR LEUNG SAID THE DECISION TO CREATE THE NEW INSTITUTE A MERE 19 MONTHS AGO AND THAT SO MUCH HAD BEEN ACCOMPLISHED SUCH A SHORT TIME WAS DUE LARGELY TO THE EFFORTS OF THE PROVISIONAL GOVERNING COUNCIL CHAIRED BY MR SIMON IP.

WAS YEAR.

THE COUNCIL WAS APPOINTED IN FEBRUARY 1993, AND THE INSTITUTE FORMALLY ESTABLISHED BY STATUE 14 MONTHS LATER, IN APRIL THIS

ON THE GOVERNMENT'S COMMITMENT TO FURTHER IMPROVE TEACHER EDUCATION, MR LEUNG SAID THE GOVERNMENT WAS INVESTING SUBSTANTIAL RESOURCES IN THE INSTITUTE WITH UNIT COST PER STUDENT INCREASED BY PER CENT COMPARED WITH THE COST OF THE FORMER COLLEGES OF EDUCATION.

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"EIGHT INTERIM CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS TO THE EXISTING COLLEGE PREMISES ARE UNDER WAY, COSTING ABOUT $30 MILLION, AND WE HAVE RESERVED $1.871 MILLION TO CONSTRUCT THE INSTITUTE'S NEW CAMPUS IN TAI PO," HE SAID.

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* PROVIDING THE RIGHT INFRASTRUCTURK WAS ONLY HALF THE

SAID MR LRUNG.

STORY,

HE STRESSED THAT PROFESSIONALISM AND SHARED

COMMUNITY IT SERVED.

EQUALLY IMPORTANT WAS THE SENSE OF MISSION BETWEEN THE INSTITUTE AND THE

/THE SUCCESS