ENG-1974 — Page 109

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EDUCATION

who have spent a number of years qualifying in responsible positions in industrial or commercial employment. These student teachers follow a one-year full-time course. To meet the demand of the two new technical institutes opening in 1975, some staff have already been appointed and enrolled at the Technical Teachers' College for a one-year in-service technical teachers training course in preparation for their new duties. The student teachers preparing for secondary school posts are generally school leavers possessing suitable qualifications and motivation and these follow a two-year full-time course to qualify them as technical teachers.

The college also provides an in-service course of training for unqualified teachers. This is a two-year evening course leading to qualified teacher status. Another impor- tant part of the college's work is the running of short refresher courses for existing teachers.

As an incentive for qualified and experienced persons from commerce and in- dustry to take up teaching as a career, a system of enhanced grants has been in- troduced. Under this scheme, student teachers are paid an allowance during training, the size of the allowance being related to their working experience, and comparable to the salary they would have otherwise received had they remained in commerce or industry. By this means, student teachers possessing valuable first-hand knowledge and experience of modern Hong Kong working conditions, problems and rewards are incorporated into the educational system, where the benefits of their experience will ultimately be passed on to subsequent generations of students.

In addition to training teachers for educational establishments the college also provides training for industrial trade instructors. These courses are offered on a part-time day-release basis or as an evening course. The object is to equip the expert craftsman with a repertoire of training techniques suitable for use in factory-based operative training.

Student enrolments for the 1974–5 session are 53 for the two-year full-time course, 23 for the two-year evening course, 70 for the one-year full-time course and 112 for the industrial trade instructors part-time day-release and evening courses.

Adult Education

Adult education is provided by the adult education section of the Education Department through the Evening Institute, the Evening School of Higher Chinese Studies and 14 adult education and recreation centres.

The Evening Institute provides seven types of courses which constitute the whole educational ladder for adults from literacy level to secondary studies. The institute runs rural literacy classes and general background classes which provide fundamental education with special reference to adult needs and interests. It also provides practical classes specially designed to give adults opportunities to learn housecraft, sewing, knitting and woodwork. After elementary general education, there is a three-year young people's course (formerly known as the post-primary extension course) providing secondary education with a practical bias for young people who do not