STANDARD
# 9 AUG 1071
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Make Chinese language official, says report
THE Government-appointed Chinese Language Committee has suggested to Government that it should consider promulgating a firm policy, in suitable minner, that Chinese and English are official languages in Hongkong.
In its final report, tabled in the Legislative Council yesterday, it defines official language as one authorised for communication between Government and the public. --
Student language campaigners last night welcomed. the proposal and urged Government to accept and carry it out quickly.
The language action committee of the powerful Hongkong Federation of Students said it was satisfied with the "widely-based" and "practicable" proposals contained in the report.
Action committee chairman, Mr James Chui, said he was glad that the officially appointed committee had accepted all the recommendations made by the federation.
The committee, chaired by Si Kenneth Ping-fa: Fung, has also made several proposals on the transla ion and interpretion services in Government.
As a long-term objective, Government should train a class of specialist translators within each of two groups, he said.
On education, the committee urges the Director of Education to further examine the ways and means by which, the 1 standards of English and Chinese of our secondary school
graduates may be equalised and improved.
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