even flow of Cadets into the professional training establish- ments of the disciplined services, a balanced intake pattern providing an intake every second month is being introduced The no system commenced in January 1977 and is now working well.
It's chopsticks and fried beef for the Hon. Angus Ogilvy during a visit to the Police Cadet School.
The long term plan is to set up a permanent school at Shuen Wan, Plover Cove, Tai Po, with a capacity of 1,200 Cadets and an output of 600 annually. This school is due to open in June 1980.
With the impending expansion of secondary education, in particular the intention to achieve a full three-year secondary education within the next few years, and the fact that more academically gifted students should not be de- barred from obtaining higher academic qualifications for direct entry into the disciplined services at officer level, the school is contemplating new training patterns and course curricula. This will depart from the present system of 40 per cent academic studies; 40 per cent physical, adventure and character building studies; and 20 per cent pre- vocational studies throughout the two-year training. There will be a wider range of subjects to study, affording varying course options and differential stream treatment for Cadets who are more academically biased.
Of the 472 Cadets who have so far graduated from the school, all but one have opted to join the disciplined serv- ices. The only student who did not join any service went
to the United Kingdom for further study, but he has stated his intention of returning to join the Police Force as an Inspector later. The proportion of graduates opting for entry into the Force has been close to 90 per cent, the remainder choosing the Customs and Excise, Fire Services or the Prisons departments. Wastage during and after train- ing has been very small when compared with wastage rates at similar Cadet schools in Britain and elsewhere.
Police Adventure Training Unit
The Police Adventure Training Unit was established in 1975. Based at the Police Cadet School, the aims of the unit
are:
• To introduce young men and women of the Force to nature, and develop an awareness of the country- side in which they work.
• To enable them to perform their duties more effectively in rural areas.
• To provide a cadre to assist in the training of Junior Police Call members and the running of youth camps and so on, all of which are part of the com- munity relations efforts of the Force.
The unit trains recruit Inspectors and volunteers from the regular and Auxiliary police in courses which cover camping, map reading, hill walking, cross country expedi- tions, rock climbing, abseiling, mountain rescue, survival training and canoeing. Each course lasts 11 days and for the greater part of this time the students are learning and practising skills outdoors.
This form of training has proved most popular and there is a considerable waiting list of applicants. Many of those who have already undergone the course have subsequently joined the Police Adventure Club and Police Orienteering Club which together number more than 700 active members and are affiliated to the Police Sports Association. In 1977, the unit organised a series of special courses for the Rural Area Patrol teams who were trained particularly in moun- tain rescue and searching techniques.
Welfare
The Welfare Section, headed by the Senior Force Welfare Officer, co-ordinates welfare facilities for members of the Force, and provides social welfare counselling to serving or retired officers and their families.
The scope of the section broadly embraces welfare proj- ects; police children's education; police primary schools; marital, family and personal problems; loans and grants; well-being of police patients in hospital; police co-opera- tives; employment for pensioners and members of police families; social, recreational and sports activities; funeral arrangements; and many other welfare functions. Police officers, civilian staff, pensioners, widows and their families are all eligible to avail themselves of these welfare facilities. During 1977, a total of 7,362 interviews covering a wide range of social and domestic problems were recorded in the welfare offices, and 1,985 visits were made by the staff to clients at their homes, hospitals and elsewhere.
The section is also much involved in administering the Police Welfare Fund, the Police Children's Education Trust, the Police Education and Welfare Trust, the Civilian Staff Welfare Fund and a Central Fund for voluntary con- tributions to widows and dependants of deceased members of the Rank and File.
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