WEDNESDAY, MAY 24, 1978
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MR. CHEONG-LEEN POINTED CUT THAT THE FAMILY HAS ALWAYS PLAYED AN ESSENTIAL ROLE IN CHINESE TRADITION AND CIVILIZATION. THE SCHEME NOW A IMS TO AMELIORATE THE NEGATIVE IMPACT OF LIVING IN AN INDUSTRIALISED COMMUNITY AND ENCOURAGES THE HARMONIOUS PRESERVATION OF THE FAMILY AS A SCCIAL UNIT TO BENEFIT BOTH YOUNG PEOPLE AS WELL AS PARENTS IN THEIR OLD AGE.
HISS BENNETT FEGRETTED THAT LITTLE DEPTH ON FAMILY LIFE EDUCATION WAS COVERED BY THE GREEN PAPER AND TRUSTED THAT THERE WOULD BE AMPLIFICATION IN THE COMING WHITE PAPER.
MR. WONG LAM QUERIED HOW THE STAFFING RATIO OF ONE PROFESSIONAL WORKER TO EVERY 10,000 POPULATION WAS ARRIVED AT IN THE GREEN PAPER. HE SAID THIS WOULD ONLY MEAN A FEW DOZENS SUCH SOCIAL WORKERS FOR THE WHCLE POPULATION. HE ALSO ASKED HOW RELIABLE WAS THE PAST EXPERIENCE WHICH WAS USED AS A EASIS FOR WORKING CUT THIS RATIO.
ROLE OF THE VOLUNTARY AGENCIES
MRS. KWAN KO STU-WAH POINTED OUT THAT VOLUNTARY AGENCIES HAVE BEEN TAKING AN IMPORTANT PART IN PROVIDING YOUTH SERVICES AND HAVE PROVED THEIR SUITABILITY AND EFFECTIVENESS IN PILOTING NEW SCHEMES.
SHE SAID THE GOVERNMENT HAD ADMITTED THAT IMPLEMENTATION OF THE VARIOUS PROPOSALS WOULD RELY TO A LARGE EXTENT ON THE IR SUPPORT. THE GREEN PAPER, HOWEVER, MADE NO FIRM FINANCIAL COMMITMENT TO ASSIST THEM IN PROVIDING THEIR SERVICES. IT EVEN WARNED THAT IF FUNDS WERE INSUFFICIENT, THERE WOULD HAVE TO BE EITHER
A SLOWING DOWN IN EXPANSION OR A LOWERING OF STANDARD.
SHE SAID THIS WAVERING ATTITUDE WOULD MAKE VOLUNTARY AGENCIES MOST HES ISTANT TO VENTURE INTO NEW, AND ESPECIALLY EXPERIMENTAL, AREAS.
MR. ALEX WU DOUBTED WHETHER THE POTENTIAL FOR SOCIAL WORK AMONG UNATTACHED YOUNG PEOPLE BY EXISTING AGENCIES HAS BEEN EXHAUSTED.
HE POINTED OUT THAT THE OBJECTIVES OF THE GREEN PAPER ARE SHARED BY A LARGE NUMBER OF VOLUNTARY AGENCIES ALREADY AT WORK IN THE COMMUNITY AND IN MANY CASES PECEIVING FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FROM THE GOVERNMENT.
IT WOULD SEEM THAT FURTHER CONSIDERATION IS NECESSARY BEFORE A WHOLE NEW MACHINERY IS PROPOSED TO DO THE SAME WORK, HE SAID.
HE HOPED THAT BEFORE THE WHITE PAPER IS APPROVED, THERE WOULD BE IN-DEPTH CONSULTATIONS WITH ALL THE VOLUNTARY AGENCIES WORKING IN THIS FIELD.
SOCIAL ATTITUDES TRAINING AND MORAL EDUCATION
MRS. KWAN KO SIU-WAH SAID SHE UNDERSTOOD THAT THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT HAS PREPARED AND IS MAKING IMPROVEMENT TO THE SYLLABUSES ON MORAL EDUCATION AND SOCIAL ATTITUDES TRAINING.
/SHE SAID .***