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Thursday, March 16, 1972
"I suggest that it is a false economy to confine our local officers
to daily routine and keep them like frogs in wells," he said.
On young people, particularly those below the age of 15, Mr. Wang
said: "We must not and could not afford to let them go astray for a few
years and be content to say that school places will soon be available."
He said this should be more obvious at this moment when the
Colony was concerned with the most undesirable upsurge of juvenile crime.
Difficulties
Admittedly there were physical difficulties involved in expediting
the construction of schools and the training of teachers but he was not
sure all had been done to reach at a much earlier dato the present target
of providing 50 per cent of three years aided post-primary education by 1976
and 100 per cent by 1980.
"I therefore propose that urgent action should be taken to explore
all other ways and means of expediting this provision," he stressed.
While waiting for the attainment of that target, Mr. Wang proposed
that Government should accept the responsibility of ensuring that no child
between the age of 6 and 15 was deprived of education solely because of
financial difficulties.
He said public funds should be made available so that all parents-
in-need could apply for financial assistance to pay for a part or the whole
of the school fees in any school registered with the Education Department,
provided the Director of Education was satisfied there were no aided places
available for them.
Mr. Wang