ENG-1976 — Page 103

EDUCATION

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There were also 747 places for postgraduate students-393 reading for higher degrees and 354 for diplomas and certificates. In the Language Centre, 13 students were read- ing for the Certificate in Chinese Language. The number of full-time teaching posts— including demonstratorships-at the beginning of the academic year was 547. All the degrees and other professional qualifications conferred by the university are equivalent to those of universities in Britain.

The University of Hong Kong conducts its own advanced level examination, the standard of which is similar to that of the GCE advanced level. Entry to the university is generally dependent upon successful results in this examination. Some 3,549 students fulfilled minimum requirements for entry in 1976.

The School of Education, officially inaugurated on September 1 on the occasion of the Silver Jubilee of the former department of education, offers graduates a one- year full-time curriculum or a two-year part-time curriculum leading to the Certificate in Education. It offers the degree of Master of Philosophy in Education for suitable candidates who wish to pursue advanced studies in education. The Doctor of Philosophy is also available for specially qualified and selected candidates__

During the year the university began planning the dental school which is to be set up in association with its existing medical school in the programme to develop further the medical and health services in Hong Kong. In association with the Univer- sity and Polytechnic Grants Committee, the university appointed a Dental Academic Advisory Committee to plan the development and curricula of the new dental school and to assist in the appointment of a Dean. The pre-clinical sections of the school will work mostly at the university's Medical Centre but the government is to build and man a new dental clinic in which the clinical side of the dental school can work. It is planned to establish the dental school in 1980 and the first 60 dentists are expected to graduate in 1984.

At present Hong Kong sends its students overseas to qualify as dentists, but this has involved a loss of qualified local people which has not been made up by qualified overseas practitioners coming to Hong Kong.

In 1975-6 the department of extra-mural studies provided some 450 evening and daytime courses, which were attended by more than 11,000 adult students. Subjects offered by the department include art and design, business studies, economics, law, languages, oriental studies, a range of liberal arts courses, and a wide variety of vocational and professional courses. Most of these courses are conducted through the medium of English, but some are taught in Mandarin and a significant proportion are conducted in Cantonese.

The General Library contains more than 255,000 volumes, including the Robert Morrison collection. The Hung On-to Memorial Library has a special collection of books on Hong Kong. The Fung Ping Shan Chinese Library of more than 200,000 volumes contains many rare items. There are two branch libraries: the Medical Library with more than 39,000 volumes including bound periodicals, and the Law Library with about 14,000 volumes.