TNAG-1073-FCO40-1323-Policy-of-the-Government-of-Hong-Kong-on-education-including-1981 — Page 471

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not enjoying the privilege, however, have expressed their objection and

called for the abolition of the schemes. Among feeder schools there

is strong objection to the proposal to cut the proportion of reserved

places from 85 per cent to 50 per cent. On the allocation system the

majority of correspondents appear to prefer allocation on strict order

of merit, stating that randomisation (though within bands) creates

unfairness, fosters wrong concepts in pupils, increases the element of

luck and, worst of all, discourages pupils from hard work. There is

also a general feeling that mixed-ability intake should not go too

far, it being pointed out by some that the nature of the normal distribution

curve is such that the two extreme bands (Bands 1 and 5), each containing

20 per cent of the total candidature, cover far too wide a range of ability.

15.

Having taken these comments and representations into account

during its deliberations the Working Party reviewing the SSPA has made

the following principal recommendations in its report:

(i)

school internal assessments should be continued;

(ii) a new curriculum-orientated test in the use of

Chinese, English and mathematics should replace

the AAT as a scaling test;

(iii) the overall structure and size of the present

nets and the balance of types of school within

them should be retained;

(iv) for allocation purposes all government and aided

secondary schools should be considered of equal

quality;

(v)

one of the existing New Territories' nets should

be split into two to meet district requirements

more adequately;

(vi) as a long-term measure, provided secondary schools

become more comparable in standard and provided