WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 1980
17
+ IN THE SHORT TERM, WE MUST ENSURE THAT ADEQUATE MEASURES ARE TAKEN TO STEM THE FLOOD AND TO PROVIDE PHYSICAL DETERRENTS SUFFICIENT TO MAINTAIN OUR STABILITY.
+IN THE LONG TERM, HOWEVER, PHYSICAL RESTRAINT MUST BE RECOGNISED AS ULTIMATELY INEFFECTIVE: PROBLEMS OF THESE DIMENSIONS CANNOT BE SOLVED WITH A WIRE FENCE AND PATROL BOATS,
+ ENTIRELY AGREE THAT THE PROBLEM MUST BE EXAMINED JOINTLY BY THE GUANGDONG AUTHORITIES AND OURSELVES AND BY THE BRITISH AND CHINESE GOVERNMENTS.+
DR HUANG PREDICTED THAT THE PROSPECT FOR HONG KONG IS ENCOURAGING AND CHALLENGING AS WE MOVED INTO THE 1980'S.
HE NOTED THAT WE ARE ACHIEVING A MARKED DIVERSIFICATION OF OUR INDUSTRIAL BASE AND ADDING NEW SCOPE TO OUR RANGE OF COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL ACTIVITIES.
A FIRMER UNDERSTANDING OF OUR REQUIREMENTS IN EDUCATION AND TRAINING IS BEING REACHED AND SOCIAL WELFARE PROVISION IS GRADUALLY BEING EXTENDED INTO AREAS OF NEEDS.
+1 AM CONFIDENT THAT IF WE PURSUE THESE GOALS AND IMPLEMENT THESE PROGRAMMES PROPERLY WE WILL MEET NOT ONLY OUR INTERNAL NEEDS BUT ALSO BE ENABLED TO PARTICIPATE IN AND MAKE A SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION TO THE MODERNIZATION PROGRAMMES OF CHINA, DR HUANG SAID.
TURNING TO OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM, DR HUANG THOUGHT IT +SHOULD BE SO CO-ORDINATED AND STRENGTHENED AS TO PROVIDE THE NECESSARY MANPOWER BASE ON WHICH THE PROGRAMME FOR THE DIVERSIFICATION OF THE ECONOMY MUST BE BUILT+.
HE POINTED OUT THAT SOME PROGRESS HAD ALREADY BEEN ACHIEVED IN IMPROVING THE SYSTEM, PARTICULARLY IN THE ATTEMPTS TO BROADEN THE CURRICULUM, TO MAKE IT LESS DEPENDENT ON ROTE LEARNING AND TO RELATE IT TO THE EDUCATIONAL PRIORITIES OF A RAPIDLY CHANGING SOCIETY BUT THERE ARE STILL CERTAIN FUNDAMENTAL ISSUES TO BE RESOLVED.
HE HOPED THAT, IN THE OVERALL REVIEW OF EDUCATION WHICH IS SCHEDULED FOR THE COMING YEAR, THE REAL PROBLEMS AND DIFFICULTIES WOULD NOT BE SIDE-STEPPED SO AS TO ACHIEVE A SUPERFICIAL ABSENCE OF CONTROVERSY.
+FOR MANY OF THE OUTSTANDING PROBLEMS IN EDUCATION, WHICH ARE NO LESS URGENT FOR BEING OUTSTANDING, ARE EXTREMELY CONTROVERSIAL AND SOME OF THESE STILL AWAIT RESOLUTION.+
ONE SUCH PROBLEM OF GRAVE DIFFICULTY AND LYING AT THE ROOT OF THE EDUCATION SYSTEM IS THE APPROPRIATE LANGUAGE TO BE USED FOR EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION FOR SCHOOL CHILDREN, HE SAID.
/-IF XONG