2. Government's Lack of Over-All Planning: Thousands of children are being taught by untrained teachers. As children begin disciplined study of English, Math and Chinese in kindergarten, they are being taught by 4,006 teachers of which 3,236 are untrained. Similarly, of 21,058 primary teachers, 4,906 are untrained; of 11,143 secondary teachers, 7,512 are untrained. In many, many cases the teachers have only completed Form 5 and, in some cases, the requirement of kindergarten teachers may be reduced further. The teacher training programme has not kept pace with the expansion of the school system. At the same time, due to a shrinking primary school population, there is a surplus of primary teachers and this year about 200 graduates of teacher training colleges were unable to find jobs in Government subsidised schools so had to either seek other employment or accept lower salaries at a private school.
3. Aptitude Test: In February 1976, Government announced that the Secondary School Entrance Examination was to be abolished and aided seats provided for all Form I students in 1978. The SSEE has long distorted teaching and learning in primary schools with extrere over-emphasis on preparation for the exom which awarded aided places to the top percentage. EAG welcomed the announcement but was dismayed when Government announced an apititude test would be introduced as part of the allocation process. The E.D. has not told the public clearly that this exam will determine the number of band 1 places a school will be allowed.
(This means schools scoring best will be most likely to get secondary schools of their choice. It also means primary schools with most highly selective entrance requirements will probably have higher results thus continuing the pressure on children to get into such schools.) We feel it is very wrong for the academically privileged children to be given superior opportunities and schools, widening the gap with the less privileged, and putting them in positions, where, with the present structures, they will exploit others. EAG fears that the aptitude test (which is really more of an ctt.inment test) will simply be viewed as a 35EE with a new name and new date and continue the SSEE pressures. In a meeting with E.D. it was confirmed that the aptitude test is being implemented because standards of primary and secondary schools vary greatly. EAG feels it is most unfair to make children suffer for Government's failures. EAG submitted two plans to E.D. based on regional assignment which we feel are fairer. (The yellow attached copy is proposed as an intermediate step; the white as our ultimate goal.)
4.
Lack of Concern: Many of the faults of the education system are due to the fact that Government has no real concern for the education of its citizens. Its chief concern is, instead, financial interest in big business. For example, at present Government has a reserve of $3,000 million and an economic growth rate of 16%, anticipated to rise to 19%. Yet, at the same time we have tens of thousands 12-14 year old dropouts each year and 200 recent teacher training graduates unable to find adequate jobs. The poor quality of educa- tion is also a result of the extremely low tax rate, corporate tax being just 17%, resulting in insufficient funds for education, housing and other social services.
Dependence on Private Schools: Lack of funds has caused Government to allow and become dependent on private schools, especially at secondary level. (312 of a total 484 secondary schools are private. In many of these, teachers are untrained, equipment poor yet fees are much higher than in Government subsidised schools. Government is in the midst of a huge building programme with the goal of aided seats for all 12-14 year olds in 1978 and for 40% of the 15-16 year olds by 1979. EAG has made these proposals on this future stop: Students in bought places in private schools should pay the same fees as those in Government subsidised places;
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b. Subsidy of teachers'salaries and recognition of teachers' experience should be equal
regardless of whether teaching in private or subsidised school;
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