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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 1975
15
+SHOULD WE REALLY ACCEPT THAT SO HIGH A PROPORTION OF THE PARENTS OF STUDENTS AT THE SECONDARY LEVEL CANNOT AFFORD THE HIGHLY SUBSIDISED FEE OF $400 PER ANNUM IN FORMS ONE TO FIVE AND $610 IN FORM SIX? THIS FEE, SHE ADDED, WAS ITSELF ONLY A SMALL PROPORTION OF THE COST OF THE PLACE TO THE TAX-PAYER.
IN CONTRAST, SPECIAL EDUCATION BADLY NEEDED TO DE EXPANDED +AND YET SUCII EXPANSION IS BEING CONTROLLED IN A NIGGARDLY FASHION.+
GOING ON TO TERTIARY EDUCATION, MRS. SYMONS ASKED IF ECONOMISE COULD ALSO NOT BE MADE DESPITE THE VALIANT AND LEARNED EFFORTS OF THE UNIVERSITIES AND POLYTECHNIC GRANTS COMMITTEE.❖
THE COST OF $290 MILLION FOR ABOUT 7,300 UNDERGRADUATES AND 3,410 FULL-TIME POLYTECHNIC STUDENTS WAS STAGGERING, SHE SAID. ON AVERAGE THE FEES IN THE UNIVERSITIES CONSTITUTED ABOUT ONE TENTH OF THE COST AND IN THE POLYTECHNIC VERY MUCH LESS.
MRS. SYMONS WENT ON TO SUGGEST THAT HONG KONG COULD DO WELL TO FOLLOW THE EXAMPLE OF A SMALL AUSTRALIAN TOWN WHERE PEOPLE ARE NOW DOING EXTRA WORK ON A VOLUNTARY BASIS IN AN ATTEMPT TO DEAT INFLATION.
THIS IDEA COULD BE CULTIVATED IN HONG KONG, SHE SAID, POINTING TO THE NEED TO MOVE AHEAD AS A COMMUNITY IN THE WHOLE AREA OF HARD WORK, DISCIPLINE AND VIABILITY.
IN PARTICULAR, SHE CALLED ON CIVIL SERVANTS TO WORK WITH RENEWED VIGOUR AND SAID THAT WHILE MANY OFFICERS WERE EXEMPLARY IN THIS, »NOT A FEW WHO ENJOY THE CONTENTS OF THE ÍRON RICE BOWL' OF GOVERNMENT FORGET THAT MANY IN THE WORLD, AND ESPECIALLY IN OUR OWN AREA, HAVE NO WORK AND EMPTY RIGÉ DOYLS,*
COMMENTING ON THE $20.5 MILLION BUDGET ALLOCATION FOR THE I.C.A.C.. MRS. SYMONS SAID THE MONEY WAS IN PROPORTION TO BOTH THE INTRINSIC VALUE OF THE COMMISSION AND THE TOTAL EXPENDITURE OF HONG KONG.
THIS SUM WOULD BRING IN DIVIDENDS, SHE SAID, BOTH IN THE FORM OF FINES AND CONFISCATED CORRUPT MONEY AMOUNTING EVEN NOW TO OVER $4 MILLION - AND IMMEASURABLY MORE SO IN THE CLEANING UP OF THE NASTY PROBLEM OF CORRUPTION IN BOTH HIGH AND LOW PLACES.*
SHE HOPED, HOWEVER THAT MANY MYSTERIES OF STAFFING COSTS AND PLANNED EXPANSION OF THE 1.C.A.C. WOULD DE REVEALED IN ITS ANNUAL REPORT ABOUT TO BE PUBLISHED.
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