In brief

Press, 15 September 1989, Page 5

In brief

School Certificate The Employers’ Federation is pleading caution over the abolition of School Certificate. The federation’s education adviser, Ms Marilyn Davies, said claims in a Press Association report that the federation supported its abolition were misunderstood. Ms Davies said her group was backing the trials being conducted on achievement-based assessment, but any moves to phase out School Certificate should come only after these had established a successful replacement. Extensive community debate was also needed to decide the fate of the examination. “Few employers are ready to face the abandonment of another educational benchmark which has traditionally been used for selecting staff,” she said. Computer stolen An $BOOO computer was stolen from Firth Concrete Products, Harewood, this week. The burglar took the 1.8. M. table-top computer from the company’s control room between 7 p.m. on Tuesday and 6 a.m. on Wednesday. Equipment taken Equipment taken from an engineering workshop in Woolston may be used for cutting up stolen vehicles, the police say. Six acetylene cylinders, six oxygen cyclinders, an argon shield, and paint thinners were taken from New Zealand Mechanical, Ltd, Heathcote Street, on Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning. A large vehicle or light truck would have been used in the burglary. Support group set up More than 30 Christchurch people have showed an interest in setting up a support group for people who suffer from the anxiety condition, obsessive compulsive disorder. A meeting attracted a large number of sufferers and their spouses, said an organiser. The group was being set up by sufferers and their families with the help of the Community Mental Health centre, and a Christchurch psychiatrist, Dr Mark OakleyBrowne. Medical education A continuing medical education programme aimed at updating general practitioners in new techniques has received a $15,000 boost from a pharmaceutical company. Allen and Banbury’s, an asthma drug company, will contribute $15,000 a year towards the programme, which is also funded by the Canterbury Post-Graduate Medical Society and the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners. The funding has enabled a Christchurch doctor, Richard Climie, to be employed part-time as a tutor in family medicine. He co-ordinates regular educational meetings for 350 Canterbury general practitioners, where doctors can brush up on new and the latest drugs.