ENG-1963 — Page 171

EDUCATION

133

addition to the one-year course, a two-year course in which in- struction is given either in Chinese or in English according to the section selected. It also offers a special one-year course to diploma holders of post-secondary colleges designed principally to train teachers for Chinese middle schools. Successful students from these two courses are qualified to teach in upper primary and lower secondary classes. The two-year course is recognized by the Ministry of Education in Britain for employment under the Burnham Scale. Students who have completed the teacher-training courses are awarded a certificate after two years of satisfactory teaching. Students from the two-year course and special one-year course are given a teacher's certificate; students from the one-year course are given a primary teacher's certificate. The training colleges organize continuation classes for students during their period of probationary teaching.

The colleges also organize in-service training courses for un- qualified teachers. These are part-time evening courses, either in Chinese or English, of two years' duration. Successful students are given a certificate granting qualified teacher status in either primary or secondary schools, depending on the particular course followed.

Teacher-training courses are free and in the full-time courses maintenance grants may be made in cases of need. In September there were 202 students in the two-year course, 50 in the special one-year course, 780 in the one-year courses and 1,526 in the in-service training courses. The department of education of the University of Hong Kong offers a one-year full-time post-graduate course which leads to a teaching qualification. In September 68 graduates were enrolled in the course. The department also offers part-time courses of two years' duration to enable graduates already employed in schools to obtain a professional qualification. The present enrolment is 55 graduates.

EXAMINATIONS

The Local Examination System. There are four local school examinations, three conducted by the Education Department and one by the University of Hong Kong.

The Secondary School Entrance Examination is a competitive examination to select pupils for places in government and aided