WEDNESDAY, JULY 13, 1983
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MR ANDREW SO SPOKE OF THE GENERALLY CROWDED AND NOISY ENVIRONMENT IN HONG KONG, AND SUGGESTED THAT THE GOVERNMENT SET UP SUFFICIENT NUMBERS OF LIBRARIES, STUDY ROOMS AND READING ROOMS TO CATER FOR THE NEEDS OF STUDENTS AND AS PART OF AN OVERALL EFFORT TO IMPROVE EDUCATION IN HONG KONG.
MR CHAN KAM CHUEN SAID THAT PRIORITIES HAD TO BE SORTED OUT AND THOSE ITEMS WHICH WERE VITAL AND WHICH HONG KONG COULD AFFORD SHOULD BE IMPLEMENTED.
ON THE MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION, MR CHAN SAID THAT WITH THE DETERIORATING STANDARD OF ENGLISH, THE USE OF THE MOTHER TONGUE HAD TO BE ACCEPTED.
MRS SELINA CHOW SAID THAT TOP PRIORITY SHOULD BE GIVEN TO THE BUILDING AND DEVELOPMENT OF SCHOOLS, GIVING CONSIDERATION FIRST AND FOREMOST TO THE NINE YEARS OF COMPULSORY EDUCATION.
+1 AM ECHOING THE THINKING OF THE PANEL OF VISITORS WHO MADE THE POINT THAT EMPHASIS, IN PER CAPITA EXPENDITURE TERMS, SHOULD BE TILTED MORE FAVOURABLY TOWARDS THE JUNIOR BRANCHES OF EDUCATION,+ SHE ADDED.
SHE ALSO URGED THAT A PUBLIC-SECTOR OPEN UNIVERSITY, EFFECTIVELY USING THE MASS MEDIA, BE ACTIVELY EXPLORED.
MISS MARIA TAM ALSO EXPRESSED SUPPORT FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN EDUCATION COMMISSION AND FOR OTHER SUGGESTIONS MADE BY FATHER MCGOVERN.
AMONG OTHER POINTS, MISS TAM SAID THAT THE CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE NEEDED TO BE OVERHAULED AND STRENGTHENED.
WHILE PAYING TRIBUTE TO HONG KONG'S +REMARKABLE FEAT+ IN EDUCATION, DR HENRIETTA IP SAID, +WE MUST CONSOLIDATE AND RESHAPE OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM TO ADAPT TO THE CHANGING DEMANDS.+
MR PETER C. WONG, ALSO SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF THE MOTION, REPEATED HIS EARLIER CALL FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A THIRD UNIVERSITY, EMPHASISING THAT THE TIME WAS RIPE TO SET IN MOTION THE PLANNING OF SUCH AN INSTITUTION.
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