HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 11 May 1988
1385
without digesting. Young people must form their own opinions and judgement objectively. For example, compared to other countries, China does have a longer history, but as far as the development of law and a system of govern- ment are concerned, China lags far behind the West. Young people should break through from merely engaging in hollow patriotic talk. They should identify the weakness of their country while learning from the strength of the West, such as its respect for law and human rights before they can play the role of building a better society for tomorrow.
Education is a major service for the development of our youths. Hong Kong spends an average of $9 billion on education every year. It is difficult to ask for a lot more money in this area, yet in terms of cost-effectiveness and the sub- stance of education, there is a great deal of room for improvement. Funds for education, including both government provisions and private contributions are, to a large extent, spent on school building programs. Such construction programs may be pleasing to the eyes and stand for lasting values, but they do not directly help training teachers or students, that is, nurturing people. I hope the allocation of resources can be reviewed with a view to spending more on nurturing people, for example, strengthening teachers' training both pre- vocationally and on-the-job so that teachers can keep abreast of our ever changing society and become more efficient. Moreover, the ratio between school social workers or counsellors to students should be improved so that the physical and emotional development of the students can be well supervised. In Hong Kong, most of the parents are working parents. Therefore, young people may not be getting as much attention at home as they need. Schools and community service agencies should deploy more manpower to take up counsell- ing work and to fill the gap.
Young people are under a lot of pressure because of examinations. This is because when it comes to examinations like school certificate examinations, high level examinations, so much is at stake for a person. Examination results determine one's future. That is why many students make repeated attempts at examinations. To sit for an examination time after time is very damaging to a young person's growth. Repeated failures would drive a young person to resenting society. Hong Kong must expand its adult education so that working youths, who fail to get into university, can use their leisure time to study thereby relieving them of the pressure of letting their fate being sealed by one single examination. Open learning institutes will come on stream very soon. I hope more degree courses will be provided to meet our youths' aspirations for further education. According to certain surveys, 52 per cent of the respondents wish to go to tertiary institutes. The demand for such places is, indeed, great.
I support the setting up of a commission on youth, but I do not think members of that commission should assume a leading or co-ordinating role, least it would result in undue interference or social conditioning. Young people have various kinds of needs. Each delivery agency, therefore, should maintain its individuality and the Government should help our youths to cultivate