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WELLESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1983
HE ADDED. THE GENERATION BORN AND BRED HERE WERE BORN WITH FREEDOM AND INALIENABLE HUMAN RIGHT TO THEM THE PROTECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND THE FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND THOUGHT IS AS IMPORTANT AS THE EXISTENCE OF AIR AROUND THEM AND AS IMPORTANT TO LIFE AS BREATHING THAT AIR.+
FOR THE PURPOSE OF ACHIEVING A STABLE AND PROSPEROUS HONG KONG THEIR EXPRESSION OF ASPIRATION SHOULD BE VALUED, MR YEUNG STRESSED.
'OCCASIONAL STATEMENTS' ON TALKS CALLED FOR
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DR THE HON HO KAM-FAI TODAY ASKED THE GOVERNMENT TO CONSIDER MAKING BRIEF OCCASIONALLY ABOUT THE TALKS ON THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG TO RECTIFY MISGUIDED PRESS REPORTS AND SPECULATION.
SPEAKING IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, HE SAID, +1 AM AWARE OF COURSE THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAS TO BE CAREFUL NOT TO BREACH THE CONFIDENTIALITY RULE OF THE NEGOTIATION NOR ENGAGE IN A COLD WAR OF WORDS, BUT EXPERIENCE SHOWS THAT POSITIVE STATEMENTS FROM THE OFFICIAL SIDES OF THE TALKS, LIKE THE ONE WE HEARD AT THE END OF THE LAST ROUND OF TALKS IN BEIJING, COULD CLEAR A LOT OF PESSIMISM. +
HE SAID THAT IT WAS COMFORTING TO KNOW LONG-TERM DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES, AIMED AT MEETING THE NEEDS OF HONG KONG INTO THE 1990'S AND THE NEXT CENTURY, WOULD CONTINUE TO BE FORMULATED.
AS I SEE IT, THE CONTINUATION OF LONG-TERM DEVELOPMENT PLANNING IS THE MOST CONVINCING SHOW OF OUR GOVERNMENT'S CONFIDENCE IN THE TERRITORY, HE SAID.
COMMENTING ON THE GOVERNMENT'S PROPOSAL ON DEVELOPING OTHER FORMS OF HIGHER EDUCATION ALTERNATIVE TO THE TRADITIONAL, FULL-TIME DAY STUDIES, HE SAID THAT THIS WOULD ONLY BENEFIT THOSE STUDENTS GRADUATING FROM SECONDARY SCHOOLS.
+WE MUST NOT FORGET, HOWEVER, THAT THERE IS A VAST POOL OF TALENTED PEOPLE WHO MAY HAVE MISSED THEIR OPPORTUNITY TO PURSUE A UNIVERSITY EDUCATION BUT WHO ARE DESIROUS AND INTELLECTUALLY QUALIFIED TO DO SO AT A LATER STAGE OF THEIR
LIVES.
+THESE MATURE LEARNERS NEED AN UNCONVENTIONAL FORM OF EDUCATION AT FIRST-DEGREE LEVEL, RUN ON FLEXIBLE TIMETABLING AND MODES OF INSTRUCTION,+ HE SAID.
+SOME MAY NEED MORE SPECIALISED TRAINING TO ENHANCE THE IR PRESENT CAREER, OTHERS MAY WANT TO CHANGE TO A NEW CAREER AND THEREFORE SEEK WAYS TO PREPARE THEMSELVES FOR IT, STILL OTHERS MAY WISH TO EXPAND THEIR MENTAL HORIZONS AND INTELLECTUAL POTENTIALS BY ENGAGING THEMSELVES IN A SYSTEMATIC, STRUCTURED, AND DEGREE-CONFERRING SCHEME OF STUDIES AT THEIR LEISURE TIME, HE SAID.
+REGARDLESS OF THE REASONS FOR WHICH THIS FORM OF PART-TIME FIRST-DEGREE LEVEL EDUCATION IS REQUIRED, ITS PROVISION WILL REAP CONSIDERABLE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL DIVIDENDS FOR THE COMMUNITY.
THIS IS
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