WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 1983
OVER 500 COMMENTS ON EDUCATION NOTED
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A TOTAL OF 523 COMMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE BY 315 INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANISATIONS ON THE REPORT BY THE PANEL OF VISITORS WHO CONDUCTED AN OVERALL REVIEW OF EDUCATION IN HONG KONG.
THE REPORT WAS PUBLISHED IN MAY THIS YEAR AND THE PUBLIC WERE INVITED TO COMMENT ON THE WIDE-RANGE OF ISSUES IT RAISED BY THE END OF AUGUST,
OF THE COMMENTS RECEIVED BY THE END OF TODAY, 145 WERE WRITTEN SUBMISSIONS, 266 WERE NEWS REPORTS OF VIEWS GIVEN IN SEMINARS AND OTHER PUBLIC OCCASIONS, AND 112 WERE EDITORIALS AND FEATURE ARTICLES.
THE COMMENTS DEALT MOSTLY WITH THE SETTING UP OF AN EDUCATION COMMISSION, USE OF MOTHER TONGUE AS THE LANGUAGE OF INSTRUCTION, ABOLITION OF JUNIOR SECONDARY EDUCATION ASSESSMENT, AND MAKING KINDERGARTEN EDUCATION A PART OF THE AIDED SECTOR.
OTHER COMMENTS WERE ON THE NEED FOR THE MORE AND BETTER TRAINING FOR KINDERGARTEN TEACHERS, MORE RESOURCES FOR THE TRAINING OF TEACHERS, SUBSIDISED POST-COMPULSORY EDUCATION UP TO FORM V FOR ALL WHO WANT IT, AND EXPANSION OF STUDY OPPORTUNITIES AT DEGREE AND HIGHER TECHNICIAN LEVEL.
THE EDUCATION AND MANPOWER BRANCH HAS ALREADY BEEN COLLATING THESE PUBLIC VIEWS AND DISCUSSIONS WITHIN THE ADMINISTRATION WILL SOON BEGIN TO COMPLETE THE PROCESS OF CONSULTATION WITHIN THE GOVERNMENT, WITH A VIEW TO FINALISING A COMPREHENSIVE BRIEF TO THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL FOR ITS ADVICE BEFORE THE END OF THIS YEAR.
SEAT BELT DEADLINE
X X X
OCTOBER 1
FROM OCTOBER 1, DRIVERS OF PRIVATE CARS REGISTERED AFTER MID-1976 WILL HAVE TO WEAR SEAT BELTS.
THE NEW REQUIREMENT ALSO APPLIES TO FRONT-SEAT PASSENGERS.
EACH YEAR, MORE THAN 4 000 CAR DRIVERS AND FRONT-SEAT PASSENGERS ARE KILLED OR INJURED IN TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS IN HONG KONG, AND IT IS BELIEVED THE NEW SEAT-BELT LAW WILL HELP SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE THIS TOLL.
+ALTHOUGH SEAT BELTS MUST BE WORN BY MANY PEOPLE BY LAW FROM OCTOBER 1, COMMON SENSE SHOULD BE ENOUGH TO CONVINCE EVERYONE TO BELT-UP AND CUT THE CHANCES OF THEIR BEING KILLED OR SERIOUSLY INJURED IN AN ACCIDENT,+ SAID A TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN.
/SEAT BELTS