CONFIDENTIAL
HKB
290
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
RECEIVED INS
2. 1 MAY 1990
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 1558
OF 1110OOZ MAY 90
INFO PRIORITY BTC HONG KONG
12
zils
105622 MDLIAN 0348
YRTELNO 825: EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE TO HONG KONG
1 I AM MOST GRATEFUL TO SEE THAT MINISTERS SUPPORT THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN IMMERSION ENGLISH LANGUAGE TRAINING SCHEME FOR UP TO 300 TEACHER TRAINEES A YEAR. THIS WILL GO A LONG WAY TOWARDS IMPROVING THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS OF THOSE ENTERING THE TEACHING PROFESSION. I AM SURE THE EDUCATION COMMISSION WILL GREAT THIS INITIATIVE WITH ENTHUSIASM.
2. WHEN THE IMMERSION COURSE WAS FIRST CONCEIVED WE EXPLAINED THAT, IN ADDITION TO THE 300 TEACHER TRAINEES, A NUMBER OF PLACES (PERHAPS ON A RATIO OF 1 PER 10 PARTICIPATING STUDENTS) SHOULD BE MADE AVAILABLE TO LECTURERS AT THE COLLEGES OF EDUCATION, BOTH TO PROVIDE THEM WITH OPPORTUNITIES FOR LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT AND TO ASSIST US IN THE SUPERVISION OF TRAINEES. IT IS NOT CLEAR WHETHER PARA 2 OF YRTUR COVERS THIS ASPECT OF THE SCHEME. THE COST OF HK DOLLARS 7.8 MILLION OR U K POUNDS 0.62 MILLION PREVIOUSLY QUOTED BY US (MISS CHOW'S FAX TO STONE, HKD OF 31 JANUARY) ASSUMES THE INCLUSION OF SOME 30 LECTURERS FROM THE COLLEGES OF EDUCATION.
3. WHILE I UNDERSTAND THAT A FORMAL ANNOUNCEMENT OF THIS SCHEME MUST AWAIT THE OUTCOME OF THE 1990 PES EXERCISE, ANYTHING THAT COULD BE DONE BY WAY OF AN EARLIER ANNOUNCEMENT, SAY IN SEPTEMBER OR OCTOBER, WOULD HELP TO RAISE ENROLMENT IN THE ENGLISH ELECTIVE COURSES AT THE COLLEGES OF EDUCATION. AN EARLIER ANNOUNCEMENT WOULD ALSO HELP BOOST MORALE AMONG OUR TEACHING PROFESSION GENERALLY. ONE ATTRACTIVE OPTION WOULD BE FOR ME TO BE ABLE TO SAY SOMETHING ABOUT THIS INITIATIVE IN MY OCTOBER ADDRESS TO LEGCO.
4. OUR MAIN OBJECTIVE WITH THE PROPOSED ENDOWMENT OF A RESEARCH CENTRE AT THE HONG KONG UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (HKUST) IS NOT SO MUCH TO KEEP PEOPLE IN HONG KONG AS TO UPGRADE HIGHER EDUCATION BY STRENGTHENING HKUST'S RESEARCH INFRACTRUCTURE. WE AGREE THAT PRIVATE SECTOR INVOLVEMENT IS IMPORTANT. INDEED, HKUST AND OTHER TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS HAVE
1
PAGE
CONFIDENTIAL