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In order to build and strengthen these three key areas of change, we must establish various programmes for the development of our community of four million people.
EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
In terms of priority, I would put educational development at the top of list. With our ever-increasing budget surpluses, we should plan for bolder educational targets for the decade of the 70's.
We ought to introduce as soon as possible compulsory primary education, with an education subsidy scheme for poor families whose children cannot go to school because they must work. We must also plan for more vocational and technical education in our secondary schools.
By 1975, we should introduce a 9-year compulsory education system, or compulsory education up to the age of 16. This is not an impossible task since a 9-year compulsory and free education system is already in force in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan.
A sound modern education is the strongest base on which our young people can acquire a good moral, spiritual and cultural character. Educational development in Hong Kong should aim to adapt Chinese tradition and culture to modern technology and scientific progress so that our young people can confidently assume the responsibilities of citizenship when they become adults.
A modern education should furthermore develop the informed and critical citizen, capable of making his own judgements, and equipping him with the mental and intellectual tools to plan for and achieve the community's economic, social and cultural goals.
SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
Next to education development, we most definitely need social development with an increased impetus. A larger portion of our budget surpluses should be earmarked for more public housing programmes, community centres, hospitals, better transport, and a social security system which will give local people some financial protection in their old age.
It is time that the
Hong Kong appears to be heading for another boom year. Government place greater emphasis on social development. A review of our existing plans for the purpose of making more effective use of our resources and budget surpluses to accelerate the provision of social services is 'urgently required.
INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT
In order to have continued social development, it is of course necessary that our economic growth should be expanding from year to year.
Industrially and commercially, Hong Kong has shown miraculous progress within the past 20 years. Yet Hong Kong is facing sharper competition in the export of her manufactured products. Increasingly, our products are being unfairly criticised in countries where our exports have created a significant impact. It is therefore desirable that local industrial and commerċtal organizations .should operate with Government to plan long-term guide-lines so as to make maximum use of our manpower resources to obtain more effective industrialization, productivity and economic growth, which will in turn give greater freedom and happiness to our people.
We urged recently that Government should place greater stress and show more concern for the needs and problems of our manufacturers. Government still clings to the assertion that a laissez faire economic policy has succeeded in the past and will continue to succeed in the future. But times have. changed, and there is need for Government and industry to have even closer liafson in order to combat the stiffer, more sophisticated competition from other Asian countries.
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