TNAG-1361-FCO40-1807-Hong-Kong-Hansard-reports-and-minutes-of-the-meetings-of-the-1985 — Page 23

Question :

Question 11

Reply by the Hon. Michael Leung, JP, Director of Education, to a Legislative Council Question by the Hon. Mrs. Rita Fan

on 3 April 1985

Could Government inform this Council :-

(a)

(b)

(c)

How frequently and in what numbers are teachers using the six teaching centres run by the Advisory Inspectorate?

Is Government satisfied with the present level of utilisation of these centres?

What progress has been made with regard to the setting

up of the first regional teachers' centre proposed by the Education Commission in its first report?

Sir,

(a)

There are at present 5 teaching centres, 3 resource/display rooms

and a Media Production Services Unit run by the Advisory Inspectorate.

6 teaching centres are for Chinese Language, English Language, Cultural Crafts,

Mathematics, Science, and Social Subjects. The 3 resource/display rooms are for Activity Approach, Kindergarten Education and Moral Education.

These Centres are being used regularly throughout the year.

In the twelve months ending February 1985, 8,678 teachers visited and used

these facilities, while 10,545 teachers attended various in-service training

courses conducted there.

(b) Within the limits of existing resources, the Department is

generally satisfied with the present level of usage. More can still be done, such as giving wider publicity and offering more in-service training

courses. 334 such courses were organised in the past year and 245 have been

planned for the next six months.

(c) A working group has been formed within the Department to plan

for the setting up of the first regional teachers' centre.

Before the establishment of the Education Commission, there were

already plans to set up a teachers' centre on the lower floors of the former

Tanner Road Police Primary School at Pak Fuk Road, North Point, which at

present also houses the Cultural Crafts, Mathematics, Science, and Social

Subjects Teaching Centres. The working group will include, as one of its

first tasks, a review of these plans in the light of the recommendations

of the Education Commission.