WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 1978
REFERRING TO THE PROPOSAL TO PROVIDE FREE AND COMPULSORY JUNIOR SECONDARY EDUCATION, SIR SZE-YUEN SAID THERE HAS EMERGED A DIVERGENCE OF VIEWS DURING THE COURSE OF DISCUSSION AMONG
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THE UNOFFICIALS, ABOUT NINE OF WHOM WILL SPEAK ON THE SUBJECT FOLLOWING HIM DURING THE BUDGET DEBATE.
ALTHOUGH THE MAJORITY SUPPORT THE PROPOSAL, THERE IS A MINORITY WHO BELIEVE THAT THE ADDITIONAL FUNDS WOULD BE BETTER SPENT ON SUBSIDISING FIVE YEARS OF SECONDARY EDUCATION WITH REMISSION OF FEES FOR THOSE WHO CANNOT AFFORD THEM.
SIR SZE-YUEN SAID WHILE HE AGREED WITH A SYSTEM OF FEES REMISSION AT THE HIGHER EDUCATION LEVEL SO AS NOT TO USE PUBLIC FUNDS TO SUBSIDISE THE RICH AND POOR ALIKE, HE TOTALLY DISAGREED WITH IT IN THE CONTEXT OF NINE YEARS OF GENERAL EDUCATION.
HE EXPLAINED THAT JUNIOR SECONDARY EDUCATION CANNOT BE MADE COMPULSORY IF IT IS NOT FREE SINCE WE CANNOT FORCE POOR PARENTS TO SEND THEIR CHILDREN TO SCHOOL AND AT THE SAME TIME ASK THEM TO APPLY FOR REMISSION OF FEES.
BESIDES, IN A WORLD OF INCREASING SOCIAL CONSCIOUSNESS, IT IS ONLY RIGHT FOR HONG KONG TO ACCEPT THE FACT THAT SUCH EDUCATION IS THE BIRTHRIGHT OF EVERY CHILD, WITHOUT REQUIRING HIM TO +GO THROUGH THE AGONY AND HUMILIATION OF EXPOSING THE STRAITENED FINANCIAL CIRCUMSTANCES OF THEIR PARENTS.+
HE POINTED OUT THAT TEN YEARS AGO WHEN HE SPOKE IN SUPPORT OF FREE AND COMPULSORY PRIMARY EDUCATION HE HAD ENVISAGED THAT THE GENERAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS OF OUR INDUSTRIAL WORKERS WILL BE RAISED AT THE SAME TIME AS OUR INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY
IS UPGRADED.
HE ADDED THAT THERE IS ALSO A NEED TO RAISE THE GENERAL LEVEL OF EDUCATION OF OUR FUTURE GENERATIONS.
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ON BEHALF OF ALL HIS UNOFFICIAL COLLEAGUES, SIR SZE-YOEN WELCOMED THE EXTENSION OF THE GOVERNOR'S TERM OF OFFICE. UNDER THE ABLE LEADERSHIP OF THE GOVERNOR, HE SAID, WE ARE CONFIDENT THAT HONG KONG WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH.+
ON THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY'S BUDGET CALCULATIONS FOR 1978-79, SIR SZE-YUEN SAID, FOR THE FIRST TIME, THE FORECAST OF 9,130 MILLION IN RECURRENT REVENUE IS VERY NEAR TO HIS OWN FIGURE OF $9,300 MILLION WHICH HE DERIVED FROM STATISTICAL ANALYSIS.
THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY'S ESTIMATES FOR RECURRENT EXPENDITURE AND TOTAL EXPENDITURE, AT 7,323 MILLION AND $10,266 MILLION RESPECTIVELY, WERE PRACTICALLY IDENTICAL AS IN PAST YEARS, TO HIS FORECASTS OF "7,300 MILLION AND *10,000 MILLION.
HE RECALLED THAT IN THE 1975 BUDGET JEBATE HE HAD CALCULATED A RECURRENT REVENUE FOR 1275-77 OF AROUND $7,000 MILLION, WHICH WAS CLOSER TO THE ACTUAL FIGURE OF $6,849 MILLION THAN THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY'S $6,370 ILLION.
/HIS CALCULATION