The Emerging University 1970-74

c) Representatio n o n th e Boar d o f Educa t i o n establishe d b y the Ho n g K o n g Gove r nmen t t o study an d propos e method s of expand i n g an d i mp r o v i n g secondar y education . d) Pub l i ca t i o n o f article s an d researc h report s i n professiona l journals. F r om th e " Re p o r t o f th e Boar d o f Educa t i o n o n th e Propose d Expansion o f Secondar y Schoo l Educa t i o n i n Ho n g K o n g ove r th e Next Decade " i t ca n b e see n tha t th e Ho n g Ko n g Governmen t i s commi t t ed t o expand i n g secondar y educatio n o n a d r ama t i c scale . Towards thi s en d th e Schoo l o f Educa t i o n w i l l b e oblige d t o p l a y a ke y rol e i n developin g immed i a t e an d long-rang e resources , programmes an d services . The mos t f undamen t a l chang e recommende d i n th e Repor t i s that Chines e be used as the med i um o f instruction i n the lowe r form s of secondar y schools . W i t h th e shortag e o f teacher s skille d i n usin g Chinese i n teachin g an d th e lac k o f goo d textbook s wr i t t e n i n Chinese ther e i s a sizabl e ga p betwee n aspiratio n an d resources . Immed i a te an d forcefu l effort s mus t b e directe d t o b r i dg i n g thi s gap. B y it s natur e Th e Chines e University , an d th e Schoo l o f Educa t i on i n pa r t i cu l a r , mus t b e expecte d t o shar e thi s responsibility i n larg e measure . Thi s w i l l involv e no t merel y th e educatio n of a n adequat e numbe r o f teacher s bu t als o activ e researc h an d development wo r k t o desig n indigenou s teachin g materials , instructional system s an d suitabl e textbooks . W i t h th e r ecommenda t i o n tha t mor e emphasi s b e give n t o developing technica l an d vocationa l educatio n fo r on e ha l f o f th e 12—16 ag e grou p a grea t dea l need s t o b e don e t o educat e suitabl e teachers a s we l l a s t o develo p a ne w cu r r i cu l u m fo r a ne w typ e o f school. Th e tw o Universitie s togethe r w i t h th e Polytechni c an d th e Educa t i on Depa r tmen t mus t see k ne w pattern s o f cooperation an d collaboration i n orde r t o cop e w i t h th e task s inheren t i n thi s new direction o f education . I n exami n i n g th e numbe r o f ne w teacher s needed , estimate d at 1,45 0 eac h yea r betwee n 197 4 an d 1981 , th e Boar d urge d tha t “ t he tw o Universitie s shoul d giv e seriou s consideratio n t o a greate r expansion o f thei r graduat e teache r t r a i n i n g facilities" . W i t h th e ne w t u r n o f events th e Schoo l o f Educa t i on ha s mad e a re-evaluatio n o f th e entir e situation . Mod i f i ca t i on s ther e ar e bound t o be . Th e questio n i s ho w t o mak e t he m mor e qu i ck l y , economically an d effectively . On e lin e o f t hough t indicate s tha t a n undergraduate p r og r amm e i n Educa t i o n w i l l be the swiftest me t ho d of prepar i ng prospectiv e teachers . Thi s fits i n w i t h th e University' s policy o f p r oduc i n g i n th e nex t quad r enn i u m mor e balance d me n 35