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in Hong Kong's own institutions.
It would also help to strengthen
However, such a
other proposals.
We
Links with professional bodies in this country.
scheme would have a much lower profile than the
are also doubtful whether British funding for a series of seminars, summer schools etc would have much impact in Hong Kong, particularly as business and government can well afford to undertake such activities themselves. We also doubt whether such a scheme would
have much effect in discouraging emigration.
Immersion English Language Training for Teachers
D.
11. The Hong Kong Government are keen to raise the standard of
The English Language skills amongst their teachers in training. inclusion of a summer immersion course in the UK for all teacher
trainees undergoing full time courses
courses in Hong Kong's colleges of education could make a significant contribution to raising the level of skill of those entering the teaching profession in the 1990s. This scheme would help to give an immediate boost to the rapidly declining numbers of applicants for English courses in Hong Kong's teacher training colleges as well as significantly improving the standard of English attained by practising teachers. It is
It is very therefore a project with long term benefits for the UK. much in Britain's interests that English should be widely used and understood in the territory if Hong Kong is to continue to be a Leading international financial and trading centre. From a presentational point of view this scheme would also have the advantage of benefiting the Hong Kong community as
than a small academic elite.
a whole rather
E=
12.
Prince of Wales Fund for Training in New Technologies
The purpose of this scheme would be to offer loans to individual firms towards the cost of training middle management staff in the application of new technologies by arranging for short working attachments overseas. This has already been done on a small scale and has proved very successful. However, we understand that the Hong Kong Government already intend to go ahead with the creation of a fund for this purpose, irrespective of a possible British donation. While the Hong Kong Government consider that the
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