132
EDUCATION
The Educational Counselling Service continued to provide advice on educational opportunities in Britain, and received some 11 000 enquiries. Two missions of academics from Britain visited Hong Kong during the year, the larger being for the British Education Exhibition in February. Opened by the Acting Governor in the presence of the Rt Hon Kenneth Baker, MP, Secretary of State for Education and Science, this exhibition attracted some 66 000 visitors.
Through its Arts programme, the council seeks to further the understanding and appreciation of British arts in Hong Kong, and to develop closer links with local arts organisations. This year, the council organised and sponsored over 20 arts events, covering all areas of the visual and performing arts. Notable events include the London Contem- porary Dance Theatre, British Film Week, the English Shakespeare Company and Hong Kong's first exhibition of works by artists from Northern Ireland.
The library represents all aspects of British life and culture, including literature, history, government, politics and the arts. It has a membership of 14 000 and offers a wide range of books, periodicals, and audio and video cassettes. There is also a comprehensive section on English Language Teaching, and a new teachers' library. Book exhibitions this year included 'Contemporary Art and Design'.
British specialists visiting Hong Kong included Robert McCrum – author and contribu- tor to the BBC TV series 'The Story of English', a specialist in Sports Injuries and Sports Medicine, and the director of one of the largest housing authorities in Britain. Among the visits arranged to Britain, was a visit by a group of school children, co-sponsored by the council, for a week's study tour, as prizewinners of the Chinese Essay Competition organised by the Urban Council. Scholarships were given at postgraduate level and covered subjects such as Law, International Relations, Social Work, Stage Management and Production, and Labour Relations.
1
I
ן
"