THURSDAY, JANUARY 10, 1980
ACTING GOVERNOR SPEAKS ABOUT HK'S ACHIEVEMENTS
AND PROBLEMS
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THE ACTING GOVERNOR, SIR JACK CATER SPOKE ABOUT THE ACHIEVEMENTS DURING THE PAST DECADE AND THE PROBLEMS FACING HONG KONG IN AN INTERVIEW BROADCAST OVER RADIO TELEVISION HONG KONG THIS (THURSDAY) MORNING.
SIR JACK TOUCHED ON HOUSING, EDUCATION, TRANSPORT, THE ECONOMY AND THE PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH LEGAL AND ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION IN THE FIRST OF A TWO-PART INTERVIEW. THE SECOND PART WILL BE BROADCAST TOMORROW (FRIDAY) MORNING.
THE FOLLOWING IS THE TRANSCRIPT OF THIS MORNING'S INTERVIEW:
SIR JACK: I SUPPOSE LOOKING BACK THERE HAS BEEN ENORMOUS DEVELOPMENT, ENORMOUS ACHIEVEMENT. BUT WHAT STICKS IN MY MIND AT THIS MOMENT IS THE AMOUNT OF SOCIAL PROGRESS THAT HAS BEEN ACHIEVED IN THE LAST 10 YEARS OR SO. AN ATTEMPT TO HAVE A BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL OF US: HOUSING, I KNOW THERE IS STILL ENORMOUS PROBLEMS OF HOUSING, BUT WE HAVE ACHIEVED A VERY GREAT DEAL.
ONLY, BUT A YEAR AND A HALF OR SO IT SEEMED TO THE GOVERNOR THAT WE HAD THE END IN SIGHT BUT BY THE MID-EIGHTIES WE WOULD OVERCOME THIS SEEMINGLY INTRACTABLE PROBLEM.
AND NOW AS A RESULT FROM THE IMMIGRATION FROM CHINA LAST YEAR OF SOME 200 000 PEOPLE SO WE SEE OURSELVES SLIPPING IN THE PROVISION OF HOUSING, A SLIPPAGE WHICH CLEARLY IS GOING TO TAKE TIME TO CATCH UP ON.
IN OTHER AREAS, EDUCATION, AND THINK BACK TO THE LATE SIXTIES IS THE TIME WHEN WE WERE THINKING THEN OF JUST INTRODUCED FREE, AND COMPULSORY PRIMARY EDUCATION. DOESN'T SEEM MUCH NOW. WE NOW HAVE, OF COURSE, FREE AND COMPULSORY JUNIOR SECONDARY EDUCATION. AND THAT I THINK IS IMPORTANT.
UNIVERSITIES.. ? I THINK A FACT WHICH IMPRESSES ME MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE ARE THE NUMBER OF YOUNG PEOPLE THERE ARE IN THE UNIVERSITIES WHO COME FROM THE LOW-COST HOUSING ESTATES. WHEN I FIRST CAME HERE, THE HONG KONG UNIVERSITY WAS VERY MUCH A RICH MAN'S UNIVERSITY. NOWADAYS, SOMETHING LIKE 55, 60 PER CENT OF THOSE AT THE HONG KONG UNIVERSITY COME FROM LOW-COST HOUSING ESTATES AND OVER 70 PER CENT OF THOSE AT THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY COME FROM THAT BACKGROUND.
INTERVIEWER: THIS IS VERY IMPRESSIVE AND THEY ARE GREAT TIPS, I
NOTICE THAT YOU TEND TO STEER AWAY FROM WHAT PEOPLE WOULD CONSIDER TO BE THE ACHIEVEMENTS IN MATERIAL TERMS FOR HONG KONG WHICH PEOPLE TEND TO ASSOCIATE HONG KONG WITH. FOR INSTANCE THE MASSIVE NUMBER OF SKYSCRAPERS THAT HAVE GONE UP.
/SIR JACK: