TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 1976
IN HIS SPEECH, THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF THE EDUCATION DIVISION, COMMONWEALTH SECRETARIAT, MR. BERNARD FONG SAID THAT THE EDUCATION MINISTERS ATTENDING THE SEVENTH COMMONWEALTH EDUCATION CONFERENCE IN ACCRA, GHANA, IN FEBRUARY NEXT YEAR WOULD NO DOUBT BE VERY INTERESTED IN NOT ONLY THE REPORT OF THE HONG KONG SEMINAR ON TECHNICAL EDUCATION AND INDUSTRY BUT ESPECIALLY THE, PRACTICAL ACTIONS WHICH DELEGATES WOULD RECOMMEND AS A RESULT OF THEIR DELIBERATIONS.
MR. FONG HOPED THAT THE EMPHASIS PLACED ON THE TECHNICIAN LEVEL AT THE SEMINAR WOULD ENABLE THE LESS DEVELOPED COUNTRIES OF THE ASIAN AND PACIFIC REGIONS TO LOOK FORWARD TO THE EXPANSION OF THEIR FACILITIES UPWARDS INTO THE TECHNICIAN LEVEL IN THE NOT FAR DISTANT FUTURE,
+ANOTHER IMPORTANT POINT IS THAT THESE LESS DEVELOPED COUNTRIES IN PARTICULAR MAY BE ABLE TO BENEFIT FROM MEASURES OF REGIONAL CO-OPERATION IN TECHNICAL EDUCATION AND INDUSTRIAL TRAINING WHICH ARE AMONG THE QUESTIONS ON WHICH WE WISH TO REACH SOME PRACTICAL CONCLUSIONS, HE SAID,
MR. FONG POINTED OUT THAT THE COMMONWEALTH SECRETARIAT WHEN SPONSORING EDUCATION SEMINARS OR CONFERENCES +ALWAYS TRIES
ITS BEST TO ENSURE THAT PRACTICAL ACTION WILL RESULT IN SOME FORM OR OTHER, OR PREFERABLY IN SEVERAL FORMS, WHICH WILL HELP TO SOLVE OR EASE PROBLEMATICAL SITUATIONS FACED BY MEMBER COUNTRIES.+
THIS MEANT THAT AT CLOSING SESSIONS GENUINE AND REALISTIC PROPOSALS FOR IMPROVEMENTS, FOR EXAMPLE IN LEGISLATION OR IN ORGANISATION OR IN TRAINING METHODS, WOULD BE PUT FORWARD FOR INCORPORATION IN THE REPORT.
*WE ALSO HAVE IN MIND THE POSSIBILITY THAT, IF THERE IS ENOUGH MATERIAL, THE COMMONWEALTH SECRETARIAT MIGHT PUBLISH AN ACCOUNT OF INTERESTING MEASURES, ARRANGEMENTS. INNOVATIONS, CASE STUDIES, SUCCESS STORIES, WHATEVER DELEGATES THINK BEST= THIS WILL BE FOR ALL TO DECIDE, THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR SAID.
THE COMMONWEALTH SECRETARIAT ATTACHED GREAT IMPORTANCE TO SUPPORTING CO-OPERATIVE ARRANGEMENTS WITHIN A REGION.
HE SAID THAT TOWARD THE END OF THE SEMINAR, WE SHALL BE DISCUSSING MORE ABOUT REGIONAL SCHEMES AND PROGRAMMES WHICH ARE IN OPERATION OR BEING PLANNED, TO SHOW THE FRAMEWORK WITHIN WHICH THE SEMINAR CAN MAKE ITS OWN RECOMMENDATIONS.+
MR. FONG EXPRESSED THE GRATITUDE OF THE COMMONWEALTH SECRETARY-GENERAL, MR. SHRIDATH RAMPHAL, TO THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT AND TO THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT FOR HOSTING THE SEMINAR AND ALSO TO THE POLYTECHNIC FOR ITS CONTRIBUTIONS.
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