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SOPANNEX A TO XCC(81)79
For discussion v vlisioen
on 26th August 1980
vanilist ta
bdI
XCC(80)106 Copy No
of 40
tbot MEMORANDUM FOR EXECUTIVE COUNCIL to devel
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obw
GROWTH RATE FOR UNIVERSITIES IN THE TRIENNIUM 1981-84 AND DISTANCE LEARNING
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Mon? ut sen von us ni goiðluenz
240
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dog ofball onto The 1978 White Paper on Senior Secondary and Tertiary
Education states that after the approved target for the current triennium of 10, 330 students in 1980-81 Has been achieved, the combined under- graduate population at the two Universities should grow at a rate of 3% annually. The White Paper goes on to say that the Government would. consider during the 1980's whether this growth rate should be reviewed, having regard to changing circumstances. As a first step, the Chief.: Secretary has asked the University and Polytechnic Grants Committee (UPGC) to give its views on the effect of this growth rate on the two Universities. However the Chairman, UPGC, has advised that the answer to this question may best be found in a survey of all tertiary and higher level education. Nevertheless he feels that even on the most conservative assumptions, constraint of the growth of output of graduates strictly by the 3% norm would have uncomfortable implications for Hong Kong's economic prosperity and social well-being. He feels that a moderate increase seems indicated. welven olderasteve
vode udtag. 6 I
a -er saibuloni,noitsoubo toreidlo toga asioilog trommsovob to multe meent to no nimRzu As regards the 3% growth rate for university student numbers stipulated in the 1978 White Paper, it should be acknowledged that this was very much a subjective figure which was acceptable at the time of planning because it would allow for the two Universities to expand, by the end of the 1980's, to the size of roughly 7,000 students per institution. The 1978 White Paper has also implied (at paragraphs 3.3(iii) and 3.4) that the social consequences of graduate unemployment, and thus over generous rates of growth, should be avoided.
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domand
Jgd de aolin paragraph 392 of its Report, the Advisory Committee on
Diversification (ACD) has expressed concern at the sharp contrast between the high rate of expansion of enrolment in the recent past and the relatively small increases of 3% per annum for the Universities after 1980-81 and less in the case of the Polytechnic - in the future which are spelled out in the 1978 White Paper. These small increases, in the view of the ACD, may mean that this sector of tertiary education will not expand fast enough to meet the demands of potential students and the needs of the economy, Tho
ACD therefore recommends that the Government, the UPGC and the Hong Kong Training Council should both separately and together make arrangements to review the situation to ensure that the development of Hong Kong's industries in the 1980's will not be hampered by a shortage of high level technological and managerial manpower.
CONFIDENTIAL ##
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