ENG-1967 — Page 132

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EDUCATION

scholarship worth $24,000 to enable a holder of the textile higher diploma to further his studies abroad.

The college continues to offer its facilities for testing purposes. During the year 14,906 concrete blocks were tested for the building and civil engineering industry, and over 3,000 textile tests were made on behalf of government departments.

TEACHERS AND TEACHER TRAINING

In March there were 28,450 full-time and part-time teachers employed in government and registered day schools, of whom 7,436 were university graduates and 13,469 were trained non-graduates. Another 5,003 teachers were engaged in tutorial, evening and special afternoon classes, and 138 were in special schools. At the end of the 1966-7 school year the ratio of pupils to teachers in all types of primary and secondary day schools was 31:1. Classes are planned for a maximum of 45 pupils in primary and 40 in secondary schools.

Most teacher training is carried out by the Education Depart- ment's three colleges-Northcote, Grantham and Sir Robert Black. Formerly called Training Colleges, these have now been re-named Colleges of Education. All three colleges are now offering full-time two-year courses designed to produce non-graduate teachers quali- fied to teach in primary schools and the lower forms of secondary schools. A special one-year course is offered at Northcote College for diploma holders from the colleges which now form the Chinese University and certain other post-secondary institutions. This course is designed mainly to train teachers for Chinese middle schools and Anglo-Chinese secondary schools. Sir Robert Black College also provides a full-time one-year course for students from secondary schools leading to a primary teacher's certificate; instruction is in Chinese.

The colleges also organize in-service courses of training for unqualified teachers. These are part-time evening courses, either in Chinese or in English, of two years' duration. Successful students are awarded a certificate granting qualified teacher status.

Fees for full-time courses are $400 a year, but students may apply for interest-free loans not exceeding $1,200 per annum; in addition, maintenance grants of up to $1,600 per annum may be made to