WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 1980
ON THE DEPARTMENT'S STUDENT GUIDANCE OFFICERS, MR TOPLEY SAID HE WAS VERY IMPRESSED WITH THEIR DEDICATION AND THE EFFECTIVE WORK THEY WERE DOING AND HE WAS CONFIDENT OF THE VERY FORCEFUL CONTRIBUTION WHICH THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO MAKE WHEN AT FULL STRENGTH.
THE NUMBER OF SUCH OFFICERS IS EXPECTED TO RISE TO 148 BY JANUARY 1981 AND TO 180 BY SEPTEMBER 1981.
+AS REGARDS SECONDARY SCHOOLS, OUR PLANS CALL FOR 90 SOCIAL WORKERS AND IN FACT THERE ARE 87 FULL-TIME EQUIVALENTS IN POSTS. WE SHALL KEEP A CAREFUL CHECK UPON THE PROGRESS OF THE SCHEME,+ MR TOPLEY SAID.
COMMENTING ON THE HON ALEX WU'S REMARKS ABOUT THE TEACHING OF MANDAR IN, HE SAID A PILOT SCHEME WAS NOW UNDER WAY.
THE DEPARTMENT IS OFFERING TRAINING COURSES THIS YEAR FOR SOME 160 SERVING TEACHERS TO ENABLE A START TO BE MADE ON THE SCHEME IN 20 PILOT SCHOOLS AND ABOUT 80 VOLUNTARY SCHOOLS IN PRIMARY 4 IN SEPTEMBER 1981 AND GRADUALLY EXTEND TO
FORM 3.
UP SURGE OF JUVENILE CRIME UNDER FULL STUDY
THE SECRETARY FOR HOME AFFAIRS, THE HON DENIS BRAY, SAID TODAY THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAD ADOPTED A MULTI-DISCIPLINARY APPROACH TO STUDY THE SUDDEN UPSURGE IN JUVENILE CRIME IN THE LAST TWO YEARS.
THE FIGHT CRIME COMMITTEE HAD INSTITUTED A MULTI-PRONGED INVESTIGATION AND HAD ALREADY CONSULTED WIDELY ON THE SUBJECT, HE SAID.
MR BRAY WAS SPEAKING AT THE RESUMED DEBATE IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ON THE MOTION OF THANKS FOR THE GOVERNOR'S ADDRESS.
HE POINTED OUT THAT THE NUMBER OF CHILDREN AGED SEVEN TO 15 PROSECUTED PER 100 000 OF THE POPULATION IN THAT AGE GROUP HAD RISEN FROM A STEADY 150-200 ANNUALLY IN 1964-78 TO 300 LAST YEAR AND PROBABLY 500 THIS YEAR.
THE STATISTICS CLEARLY NEED FURTHER INVESTIGATION FOR WE ARE NOT MUCH NEARER TO IDENTIFYING THE CAUSES OF THE UPSURGE YET, HE SAID.
MR BRAY SAID THE HEAD OF A TEAM FROM THE SOCIAL RESEARCH CENTRE OF THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY WHICH IN 1973 UNDERTOOK A SCIENTIFIC SURVEY ON THE CAUSES OF JUVENILE CRIME AND DELINQUENCY HAD BEEN CONTINUING WORK IN THIS AREA AND HAD JUST THIS YEAR PRODUCED A FOLLOW-UP STUDY ON FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS AND DELINQUENT BEHAVIOUR+.
THE HEAD OF THE TEAM, DR AGNES NG, HAD ALSO HELPED TO DRAW UP A PROGRAMME OF STUDY AIMED SPECIALLY AT THE NEW SITUATION REVEALED BY THE 1979 AND 1980 FIGURES.
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