FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1976
ESTABLISHMENT OF BOARD OF TECHNICAL EDUCATION ADVOCATED ******
DR. S.Y. CHUNG, SENIOR UNOFFICIAL MEMBER OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. TODAY STRONGLY ADVOCATED THE SETTING UP OF A BOARD OF TECHNICAL EDUCATION TO ENSURE GOOD CO-ORDINATION IN PROGRAMME PLANNING AND COURSE DEVELOPMENT FOR THE WHOLE SPECTRUM OF TECHNICAL EDUCATION.
SPEAKING AT THE OPENING OF THE KWAI CHUNG TECHNICAL INSTITUTE, DR. CHUNG SAID THAT WITH RAPID DEVELOPMENT OF THE POLYTECHNIC AND TECHNICAL INSTITUTES, COUPLED WITH AN INCREASING NUMBER OF PRE-VOCATIONAL SCHOOLS, SECONDARY TECHNICAL SCHOOLS, AND INDUSTRIAL TRAINING CENTRES, VOCATIONAL TECHNICAL EDUCATION WAS BECOMING MORE IMPORTANT AND COMPLEX,
HE SUGGESTED THAT THE ADVISORY BOARD SHOULD COMPRISE REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE HONG KONG UNIVERSITY, THE POLYTECHNIC, THE TRAINING COUNCIL, THE HONG KONG INSTITUTION OF ENGINEERS, THE PRE-VOCATIONAL SCHOOLS, COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL ASSOCIATIONS, AND THE TECHNICAL INSTITUTES AND THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT.
HE SAID THERE WERE AT LEAST TWO IMPORTANT AREAS WHICH THE BOARD SHOULD BE CONCERNED WITH.
IN THE AREA OF STUDIES, DR. CHUNG SAID IT IS VITAL THAT EACH TYPE OF INSTITUTION SHOULD HAVE ITS LEVEL OF COURSES REASONABLY WELL DEFINED SO AS TO MINIMISE UNNECESSARY DUPLICATION, BECAUSE ALL THESE INSTITUTIONS DERIVE THEIR FUNDS FROM THE SAME SOURCE, THAT IS, GOVERNMENT.
+ON THE OTHER HAND, IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT THESE INSTITUTIONS DO NOT LEAVE ANY GAPS OR CAUSE ANY DEFICIENCIES AT ANY LEVEL OF STUDIES ALONG THE VERTICAL SCALE OF TECHNICAL EDUCATION.+
IN THE SECOND AREA, THE DESIGN OF STUDY PROGRAMME, DR. CHUNG POINTED OUT THAT IT WAS DESIRABLE THERE SHOULD BE SOME DIRECT TRANSFERABILITY FROM PRE-VOCATIONAL SCHOOLS TO TECHNICAL INSTITUTES AND FROM TECHNICAL INSTITUTES TO THE POLYTECHNIC.
+IN OTHER WORDS, THERE SHOULD BE VERTICAL INTEGRATION AND CONTINUITY IN TECHNICAL EDUCATION FROM LOWER TO HIGHER LEVELS,+ HE SAID.
DR. CHUNG STRESSED THAT IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN AND STRENGTHEN HONG KONG'S COMPETITIVE POSITION IN THE WORLD MARKETS, +WE HAVE TO STRIVE FOR GREATER OUTPUT IN LABOUR, LESS WASTAGE IN MATERIAL BETTER UTILISATION OF CAPITAL, HIGHER QUALITY IN PRODUCTION, MORĒ ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY IN MANUFACTURE AND GREATER INNOVATION IN PRODUCT DESIGN.+
+THESE GOALS CANNOT BE ACHIEVED UNLESS WE HAVE QUALIFIED AND COMPETENT TECHNICAL MANPOWER IN SUFFICIENT QUALITIES AND AT ALL LEVELS,+ HE SAID.
/SPEAKING