TECHNICAL EDUCATION AND INDUSTRIAL TRAINING ******
THE DEVELOPMENT OF TECHNICAL EDUCATION AND INDUSTRIAL TRAINING IS OF PARAMOUNT IMPORTANCE IN THE INDUSTRIALIZING NATIONS, DR. S.Y. CHUNG, SENIOR UNOFFICIAL MEMBER OF LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, SAID THIS MORNING WHEN HE OPENED THE COMMONWEALTH REGIONAL SEMINAR ON TECHNICAL EDUCATION AND INDUSTRY.
HE SAID +ONE OF THE MAJOR CAUSES OF THE DEVELOPMENTAL GAP BETWEEN THE ADVANCED AND THE DEVELOPING COUNTRIES IS WIDELY BELIEVED TO LIE IN THE DISPARITY IN THE LEVELS OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY BETWEEN THESE TWO GROUPS OF COUNTRIES.
+THE UNITED NATIONS HAS CONDUCTED MUCH RESEARCH IN THIS AREA AND, AS A RESULT, THE STRATEGY IN THE U.N. SECOND DEVELOPMENT DECADE FOR THE INDUSTRIALIZING COUNTRIES ATTACHES GREAT IMPORTANCE TO THE ROLE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND STRESSES THE URGENT NEED FOR ACCELERATION IN TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER AND IN SELF-RELIANCE. +
DR. CHUNG POINTED OUT THAT IN ORDER TO NARROW THE TECHNOLOGICAL GAP, THE RECIPIENT COUNTRY MUST HAVE THE CAPACITY AND CAPABILITY TO ACCEPT THE TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER.
TURNING TO THE DOMESTIC SCENE, DR. CHUNG SAID HONG KONG MUST IMPROVE ITS INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTIVITY THROUGH MECHANISATION OF ITS EXISTING INDUSTRIES AS WELL AS DEVELOP MORE SOPHISTICATED AND TECHNOLOGICALLY ADVANCED INDUSTRIES.
+HONG KONG HAS TO FOLLOW THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE INDUSTRIALLY- ADVANCED COUNTRIES WHOSE INDUSTRIES, FACED WITH SEVERE COMPETITION FROM LOW-COST TERRITORIES, HAVE TO COMPETE NOT IN PRICE BUT ON QUALITY AND TECHNOLOGY.
+FOR THIS REASON, THE DEVELOPMENT OF TECHNICAL EDUCATION AND INDUSTRIAL TRAINING IN HONG KONG IS OF GREAT IMPORTANCE TO OUR FUTURE WELL-BEING, DR. CHUNG SAID.
BOTH THE GOVERNMENT AND INDUSTRY RECOGNISED THAT THE DEMAND
FOR TECHNICAL EDUCATION WAS INCREASING, HE POINTED OUT.
+THEREFORE DESPITE HONG KONG'S FINANCIAL STRINGENCY IN THE LAST TWO YEARS, THE GOVERNMENT HAS CONTINUED TO DIVERT SUBSTANTIAL PUBLIC FUNDS TOWARD THE GREAT EXPANSION OF TECHNICAL EDUCATION, + DR. CHUNG EMPHASISED.
BY THE END OF THIS DECADE, HE ADDED, HONG KONG SHOULD BE ABLE TO PROVIDE SUFFICIENT TECHNICAL EDUCATION FACILITIES FOR A TOTAL ENROLMENT OF 50,000 PLACES FOR FULL-TIME, PART-TIME DAY AND EVENING STUDENTS.
THE GOVERNMENT AND INDUSTRY WERE MAKING JOINT EFFORTS TO ESTABLISH TRAINING CENTRES FOR DIFFERENT TRADES.
+TWO SUCH TRAINING CENTRES, ONE FOR CLOTHING AND THE OTHER FOR THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY, ARE BEING SET UP, DR. CHUNG SAID.
/IN HIS .....