Lanoutthie to ammist **
1 AD
8
The White Paper on the Development of Senior Secondary and Tertiary Education States, at paragraph 6, 7, that Government will adopt measures designed to increase further the number of students on degree courses. It goes on to say that the Government will ask the Universities to prepare proposals for part-time degree courses, designed mainly for mature students so that by the mid-1980's there should be a combined total at both Universities of about 1,000 students on these courses. The intention of this proposal was primarily to offer to mature persons already in employment a second chance to obtain a degree by following a part-time course offered by a University.
MAMAR
9
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and Jalg:
The Universities were duly invited to forward their proposals for part-time degrees, mainly for mature students, to the UPGC. The Chinese University has forwarded its tentative ideas and the University of Hong Kong has suggested external degrees as an alternative. Accordingly, the UPGC has formulated preliminary views on the whole field of distance learning and feesl that this area needs to be explored carefully. It is apparent that some of the various options could offer comparatively quick and cost effective means of satisfying, to some extent, the social demand from school leavers for additional tertiary education places particularly in the light of developments overseas. It may also be possible to gear some of these courses to meet demand from certain professions.
10
It is envisaged that the revised proposals for the various forms of distance learning would be such that the costs arising would be no more than that for the 1,000 students envisaged for part-time degree courses in the 1978 White Paper. This should also result in substantially more than 1,000 students benefiting. It is now proposed that the whole field of distance learning including external degrees, should be pursued further with the UPGC.
Publicity and Public Reaction
11
While it is not proposed to give publicity to these proposals, bearing in mind the need for UPGC advice in the matter, there is undoubtedly mounting pressure in the form of increased social demand for tertiary education places, particularly in the wake of recent announcements on fee increases in United Kingdom tertiary education institutions. Consideration of increasing the vote of growth at the Universities and the exploration of the field of distance learning will be seen as steps in the right direction.
機密
CONFIDENTIAL #R