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AY, UBER 26, 1983
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+THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE FOR HONG KONG, WHICH MUST CONSTANTLY HARNESS ITS HUMAN RESOURCES INTO MAINTAINING ITS COMPETITIVE POSITION IN THIS WORLD OF EVER-ADVANCING TECHNOLOGY, PRODUCTIVITY AND EFFICIENCY, HE STRESSED.
DR HO SAID THAT THE THREE MOST COMMON MODELS OF THIS SECOND- CHANCE, UNDERGRADUATE-LEVEL EDUCATION WERE THE PART-TIME EVENING COURSES, THE EXTERNAL DEGREE MODEL AND THE OPEN UNIVERSITY MODEL.
HE STRESSED THAT THE PROVISION OF AN ALTERNATIVE FORM OF HIGHER EDUCATION FOR MATURE LEARNERS WAS FEASIBLE AND NECESSARY.
+ THEREFORE WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT A WORKING PARTY BE FORMED UNDER THE AEGIS OF THE UNIVERSITY AND POLYTECHNIC GRANTS COMMITTEE TO GIVE CAREFUL CONSIDERATION TO THIS WORTHWHILE PROPOSAL HE SAID.
SPEAKING OF REHABILITATION SERVICES FOR THE EX-MENTALLY ILL. DR HO URGED THE GOVERNMENT TO PAY SPECIAL ATTENTION TO THE ACTUAL PROVISION OF PLACES IN HALF-WAY HOUSES AND THE STAFFING OF THESE INSTITUTIONS.
HE SAID THAT ACCORDING TO HIS KNOWLEDGE, ONLY TWO HALF-WAY HOUSES, EACH WITH A CAPACITY OF 40 PLACES, HAD BEEN APPROVED FOR 1984-85.
DR HO ADDED THAT HE THUS SUSPECTED THE PLANNED PROVISION OF 150 PLACES EACH YEAR COULD NOT BE REALISED UNLESS CONSIDERABLY MORE RESOURCES WERE TO BE ALLOCATED.
+A SIGNIFICANT SPIN-OFF EFFECT OF HALF-WAY HOUSE PROVISION IS THE RELIEF IT WILL BRING TO THE DEMAND ON HOSPITAL BEDS, WHICH ARE VERY COSTLY TO MAINTAIN.
+FURTHERMORE, AN ADEQUATE SUPPLY OF HALF-WAY HOUSE PLACES WILL SPEED UP THE DISCHARGE RATE FROM PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITALS, THUS MAKING IT POSSIBLE TO START THE PROCESS OF SOCIAL REHABILITATION EARLIER FOR MENTAL PATIENTS, HE SAID.
AS FOR STAFFING, DR HO SAID, +A REVIEW OF THE STAFF STANDARDS IS IMMINENT, IF THE HALF-WAY HOUSES ARE TO TAKE IN EX-MENTAL PATIENTS WITH A DISPOSITION TO VIOLENCE AND TO PERFORM THE ENLIGHTENED FUNCTIONS RECOMMENDED BY THE WORKING GROUP.+
THE PRESENT STAFF ESTABLISHMENT FOR A HALF-WAY HOUSE WITH A STANDARD CAPACITY OF 40 PLACES IS ONE SENIOR SOCIAL WORK ASSISTANT, THREE WELFARE WORKERS WHO WORK ON SHIFTS AND ONE WORKMAN.
ALMOST ALL THE HALF-WAY HOUSES EXERCISE VERY RESTRICTIVE ADMISSION CRITERIA IN THAT THEY DO NOT ADMIT RESIDENTS WITH A HISTORY OF CRIMINAL RECORD OR VIOLENCE OR SERIOUS ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR.
ANY
DR HO SAID, GIVEN THE CURRENT INADEQUATE STAFFING POSITION, THIS CONSERVATIVE ADMISSION POLICY IS UNDERSTANDABLE. RELAXATION OF ADMISSION GUIDELINES MUST THEREFORE BE PRECEDED BY SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN THAT AREA, BOTH IN QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE TERMS.+
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