TNAG-1072-FCO40-1322-Policy-of-the-Government-of-Hong-Kong-on-education-1981 — Page 94

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HKBC Factual

Students study, through the medium of lectures and practical classes, a wide range of traditional botanical and zoological units. Tutorials are not given on a regular basis, and it is College policy not to include tutorials as a normal part of the teaching load of staff. However, students form themselves into small groups to discuss problems and if they cannot obtain satisfactory answers from each other, they meet staff for informal tutorials in these groups.

Class sizes on the new programme will be around 15-20.

In addition to the major biological units totalling 42 credits, students also need to obtain a further 24-26 credits from non-major electives including religion.

Students have a good relationship with faculty staff, furthermore they identify easily with the tutor/demonstrators.

The first year students appear to have less need to seek part-time employment due to the government support whereas many senior students are without this support and have need of such employment to survive financially.

Students are very isolated from other students in the universities and the Polytechnic. They are well aware that Hong Kong universities do not recognise their programme as of degree equivalence, and even though they receive notices of seminars from the universities, they are rarely able to attend because of their own course commitments.

HKBC Comment

These courses have a rather traditional approach that limits the experience of the student. That there are no formal tutorials limits the formal exchange of views between teacher and student, and the lack of recognition of tutorials as formal teaching periods in College policy is unfortunate.

The tutor/demonstrators have an easy relationship with students, but there is no evidence of outside graduates becoming tutor/demonstrators and this leads to an element of in-breeding which is only mitigated by a rapid turnover of faculty staff. The small class size, enthusiasm of the staff and students, and the input of the tutor/demonstrators enriches the students' experience compared with the Polytechnic students.