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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
The Urban Councillors have always urged the Government for improvements in its administration. Although all our suggestions were not totally accepted by the Government, yet we must say that most of our suggestions have not been entirely ignored.
It is undeniable that Councillors' comments and views do have their influence on the Government's policy and administration.
The Governor, Sir Murray MACLEHOSE, has expressed his determination to further Hong Kong's progress and prosperity. He announced his 10-point plan to improve Government administration and to give a better deal to the people at a recent Legislative Council meeting. Sir Murray, in his speech, placed special emphasis on Housing, Education, Social Welfare, and Crime involving young people.
Here today, I would like to give my views on these topics:
On Housing, for years I have been tirelessly calling for the "A home for Everyone" policy.
The Government should sell to the people flats of various kinds of Government housing projects on a 20 or 25-years hire-purchase scheme.
The Government, by doing this, can only be free from public criticism of being alleged of only knowing how to collect taxes and rents and not trying to help the people.
The people would only support the Government when they know that by co-operating with the Government, they are in fact protecting their own properties.
We have a very high urban population density. I agree with the Government that new housing estates in the future should only be built in the suburban areas or in the New Territories.
I would like to point out that the requirements for application for Government operated housing scheme, be it low-cost or resettlement, should be relaxed. New rules should also be made to cope with the changing standards of the people's income. I suggest the living space for each person in the low-cost housing estate should be enlarged to 35 sq. ft. per head, regardless of adult or child. This move can avoid occupants from applying for bigger flats and living in uncomfortably crowded conditions in the future years when their children grow up.
The Government should be praised for its plan to re-build the older type of resettlement estate blocks, so as to accommodate more people and give the tenants a better living environment.
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Would the Government give favourable consideration to my suggestion that the new blocks should be of 20-storey high? These tall buildings can provide homes for more people and free them from the constant threat of the rent spiral. When a certain area is under re-planning, the Government should see to it that there is a balanced development of recreation centres, market places, playgrounds, cinemas, schools, and clinics.
On Education, I think our system is way behind time and we are unable to meet the demands of the rapid changes of the community. The Government should implement the nine-year compulsory education system at the earliest possible date. The first six years should be the same as the present primary school system, and the last three be devoted to vocational training split between commercial and technical education. Hong Kong is rapidly changing into an industrial city from a commercial entrepot.
And the ordinary grammar schools are no longer adequate to turn out enough manpower to meet the society's increasing demands.
Therefore, this nine-year compulsory education system with equal emphasis on academic and technical education should be implemented as soon as possible.
There is a significant lack of secondary school places in the Resettlement Estates, and there are over 20,000 primary school drop-outs from schools annually. These dropouts cannot take up a job because most of them are under the minimum required age of 14.
They become easy prey to the exploitation of the racketeers and criminals who can easily lead them astray and force them into various kinds of illegal activities. The crime rate involving young people will never go down if the Government fails to start the nine-year compulsory education system at the earliest date. This move can provide ready school places for thousands of primary school leavers, keeping them in the classroom instead of letting them roam our streets.
The Government should open more day and night secondary schools in the resettlement estates.
More Government-operated kindergartens and day nurseries should also be opened in the estates, enabling the mothers to go out to work with a free heart, knowing their children are being well taken care of in capable hands. The Secondary School Entrance Examination should be abolished upon the implementation of the nine-year compulsory education system. Before it is abolished, question papers on various Examination subjects should be taken out from different sets of textbooks now being used in various schools to ensure fairness.
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