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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 1980
MR GRIFFITHS ALSO NOTED THAT IF LEGISLATION WAS TO BE EFFECTIVE, IT WAS ESSENTIAL THAT AS WIDE A CONSULTATION AS POSSIBLE SHOULD TAKE PLACE NOT ONLY AT THE POL ICY-MAKING STAGE BUT ALSO WHEN POLICY HAD BEEN ENSHRINED IN A DRAFT BILL. SUCH CONSULTATION AS WELL AS THAT WITHIN GOVERNMENT TOOK TIME.
*ALL THIS BEING SAID, NEVERTHELESS A SHORTAGE OF OLDER AND MORE EXPERIENCED STAFF DOES EXIST IN THE DRAFTING DIVISION AND THIS INEVITABLY CAUSES SOME DELAY, HE ADDED.
HE POINTED OUT THAT THROUGHOUT THE COMMONWEALTH THERE WAS
A SHORTAGE OF MORE EXPERIENCED DRAFTSMEN. IN THE MEANTIME THEREFORE IT WAS NECESSARY FOR HIS DEPARTMENT TO CONTINUE THE SLOWER PROCESS OF PRODUCING THEIR OWN SENIOR AND EXPERIENCED DRAFTSMEN BY IN-SERVICE TRAINING OF THE JUNIOR MEMBERS OF THE DRAFTING DIVISION BY THE IR SENIOR COLLEAGUES, SO THAT THEY MAY EXPAND AND DEVELOP THE IR INDIVIDUAL CAPABILITIES WHILST ACQUIRING THE NECESSARY EXPERIENCE AND COMPETENCE TO TACKLE THE MORE DEMANDING AND DIFFICULT DRAFTING WORK.
*BUT SUCH SUPERVISION AND TRAINING IN ITSELF IS THE CAUSE OF SOME DELAY. MOREOVER, SOME, WHEN THEY ARE TRAINED, MAY NOT REMAIN IN HONG KONG FOR A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT REASONS, SO IT WILL HAVE TO BE A CONTINUING PROCESS.
+ONE AIM OF THE REORGANISATION OF MY CHAMBERS RECENTLY APPROVED BY THE FINANCE AND ESTABLISHMENT COMMITTEES OF THIS COUNCIL, WAS TO CREATE A CAREER STRUCTURE DESIGNED TO HOLD IN HONG KONG SOME OF THE VERY ABLE BUT COMPARATIVELY INEXPERIENCED YOUNG LAWYERS PRESENTLY EMPLOYED AS MEMBERS OF MY CHAMBERS,+ HE SAID.
PROBLEMS FORESEEN IN EXTENDING COMPULSORY EDUCATION
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THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION, THE HON KEN TOPLEY, ADMITTED TODAY THAT SECONDARY SCHOOLS WERE BEGINNING TO ENCOUNTER PROBLEMS OF DISCIPLINE AND INDIFFERENCE AND THE CONNECTION WITH COMPULSORY EDUCATION SEEMED OBVIOUS.
SPEAKING AT THE RESUMED DEBATE IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ON THE MOTION OF THANKS TO THE GOVERNOR'S ADDRESS, MR TOPLEY POINTED OUT THAT THE EXTENSION OF COMPULSORY EDUCATION WAS NOT EXPECTED TO BE PAINLESS.
*WE HAVE, WITH OUR EYES OPEN, TAKEN PROBLEMS FROM OUR STREETS AND TRANSFERRED THEM TO THE CLASSROOM.
+WE HAVE GIVEN OURSELVES A HARD TASK BY LENGTHENING THE SPAN OVER WHICH CHILDREN ARE EXPECTED TO BE IN SCHOOL AND NOT AT WORK, HE SAID.
THE INCREASE IN JUVENILE CRIME, MR TOPLEY THOUGHT, COULD NOT BE DUE TO THE EXTENSION OF COMPULSORY EDUCATION. THE TREND ESTABLISHED ITSELF BEFORE COMPULSORY EDUCATION WAS INTRODUCED.
/MA TOPLEY
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