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DRAFT SPEECH BY DR HON HO KAM FAI, OBE, JP LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 23.1.85
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Education Commission Report No. 1
Sir,
I rise to speak on the recently published Education Commission Report No. 1. The Education Commission should be congratulated on the sensible and imaginative recommendations it has put forward in the report. In my view, these recommendations are practicable and congruent with the social and economic realities of Hong Kong. They are worthy of our
support.
My
Education should be kept constantly under review with
I look regard to changing circumstances and community needs. forward to seeing the future reports of the Commission. Different people will have different views on education. honourable collegues and I are expressing our personal views on the report. I hope that members of the public will also comment freely on the recommendations.
Due to the normal time constraint on an adjournment
debate, I shall make my comments brief.
First of all, I accept the arguments put forward by the University and Polytechnic Grants Committee and the Education Commission against an open university modelled on the UK Open University. The Commission has instead proposed the development of open education at all levels to provide second chance opportunities to people beyond school age to further their education. I fully agree with this recommendation. Open education complements traditional tertiary education of which there is great demand. By providing alternative forms of attendance to full-time education, open education enables mature students with full-time employment to acquire abilities and qualifications beneficial to employment.
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