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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24, 1974
HE FELT THAT THIS WAS THE AREA WHICH CALLED FOR URGENT, CONCENTRATED AND INNOVATIVE PLANNING AND ACTION, PARTICULARLY BY THE HOME AFFAIRS AND SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENTS, IN ORDER TO PROVIDE COMMUNITY ORIENTED ACTIVITY FOR THE ESTIMATED 20,000 YOUNGSTERS WHO WILL NOT ENTER SECONDARY SCHOOLS.
HE SAID IT WAS ALSO AN AREA WHERE THE URBAN COUNCIL, THE KAIFONG ASSOCIATIONS, THE AREA COMMITTEES, THE MUTUAL AID COMMITTEES COULD, ALL IN A WELL CO-ORDINATED EFFORT, PLAY A CONSTRUCTIVE AND COMMUNITY-BUILDING ROLE,
TOUCHING ON THE FIGURE OF 20,000 SCHOOL LEAVERS, HE SAID THERE WAS AS YET NO REASONABLY ACCURATE ESTIMATE OF WHAT THE NUMBER VOULD BE THIS YEAR.
HE SUGGESTED THAT THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT SHOULD ENLIST THE CO-OPERATION OF ALL PRIMARY SCHOOL PRINCIPALS, REQUESTING THEM TO FURNISH THE DEPARTMENT BY THE END OF SEPTEMBER OR MID-OCTOBER WITH A LIST OF THE NAMES AND ADDRESSES OF ALL PRIMARY SCHOOL-LEAVERS WHO CANNOT CONTINUE WITH THEIR EDUCATION.
BY WAY OF SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION, THE NAMES AND ADDRESSES OF PRIMARY 5 AND 6 DROP-OUTS COULD ALSO BE SUPPLIED TO THE DEPARTMENT BY EACH PRIMARY SCHOOL OF A MONTHLY OR QUARTERLY BASIS.
HE ATTACHED GREAT IMPORTANCE TO GETTING THE INFORMATION IN TIME AND DEPLOYING THE COMBINED EFFORTS OF THE GOVERNMENT AND THE COMMUNITY IN COMING TO GRIPS WITH THE PROBLEM.
+FOR MANY YEARS ALREADY WE HAVE SEEN THIS PROBLEM MOUNTING IN SERIOUSNESS AND INTENSITY. WE HOPE THIS YEAR IT WILL NOT REACH THE BOILING POINT WHERE THE LID CAN BE BLOWN OFF THE TOP, ASSUMING THAT QUICK AND AMPLE MEASURES ARE TAKEN TO TAKE SOME OF THE HEAT OUT OF THE PROBLEM.
+WARNINGS FROM DIFFERENT GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS HAVE BEEN INCREASING LATELY ON THE GROWING INVOLVEMENT BY YOUNG PEOPLE IN VARIOUS FORMS OF CRIME, SUCH AS ROBBERY, RAPE, TRIAD ACTIVITY, GANG FIGHTS, CHOPPER ATTACKS AND HURDER.+
MR. CHEONG-LEEN SAID HE BELIEVED THAT THE EDUCATION AND HOME AFFAIRS DEPARTMENTS WERE AWARE OF THE PUBLIC CONCERN, AND WERE CONSIDERING VARIOUS PLANS TO MEET THE SITUATION. THE QUESTION IS: WILL THESE PLANS BE TOO EXPERIMENTAL OR LIMITED IN SCOPE THIS YEAR SO THAT THEY CANNOT FULLY GET TO GRIPS WITH THE PROBLEM IN ALL ITS MAGNITUDE?+
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