18
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 12, 1984 .
+FAMILY PLANNING IS HONG KONG PLANNING IN EVERY SENSE OF THE TERM, HE ADDED.
MR AKERS-JONES PRAISED THE FAMILY PLANNING ASSOCIATION FOR ITS CONTRIBUTION TO THE COMMUNITY.
+ IT IS NOT ONLY IN LIMITING THE SIZE OF THE FAMILY THAT THE ASSOCIATION PERFORMS SUCH VALUABLE SERVICE, IT IS PLANNING FOR THE FAMILY IN EVERY SENSE OF THE WORD THAT THE ASSOCIATION HAS MADE AND WILL MAKE A VITAL CONTRIBUTION TO SOCIAL WELL-BEING, HE SAID.
+THE NEW EMPHASIS YOU HAVE GIVEN TO YOUR WORK BY DIRECTING YOUR EFFORTS AT YOUNG PEOPLE, WHO HAVE NOT YET MARRIED AND STARTED A FAMILY, WILL BE OF GREAT VALUE IN CULTIVATING UNDERSTANDING AND RESPONSIBLE ATTITUDES AMONG THE RISING GENERATION AND LEADERS OF TOMORROW, HE ADDED.
MUCH HAD CHANGED IN THE PAST 20 YEARS SINCE THE INTRODUCTION OF CONCEPTS TO PLAN FAMILY SIZE IN THE NEW TERRITORIES, WHICH WAS A BOLD INITIATIVE IN AN ENVIRONMENT GOVERNED VERY LARGELY BY VILLAGE TRADITION.
+THERE HAS INDEED BEEN A SOCIAL REVOLUTION IN HONG KONG, RURAL HONG KONG HAS GIVEN WAY TO URBAN HONG KONG, EVERY CHILD NOW RECEIVES A SECONDARY EDUCATION, THERE HAS BEEN A PROGRESSIVE EXPANSION OF OUR ECONOMY, AND, OF THE TOTAL WORK FORCE, OVER ONE-THIRD ARE WOMEN, HE SAID.
+WITH WOMEN AT SCHOOL AND WOMEN AT WORK, AND THE IMPACT OF NEW CONCEPTS OF FAMILY LIFE, FAMILY SIZE HAS DECREASED DRAMATICALLY IN THE PAST TEN YEARS, FROM 3.4 CHILDREN PER FAMILY IN 1971 TO 2.5 1981, HE SAID.
+URBANISATION, INDUSTRIALISATION, RISING LIVING STANDARDS UNIVERSAL SECONDARY EDUCATION AND, MOST IMPORTANTLY, THE WORK OF THE FAMILY PLANNING ASSOCIATION HAVE ENABLED HONG KONG TO ACHIEVE A HIGH DEGREE OF POPULATION CONTROL AND TO REDUCE OUR RATE OF NATURAL INCREASE TO 1.6 PER CENT PER ANNUM IN 1983, + MR AKERS-JONES SAID.
+EXCESSIVE GROWTH AT VARIOUS TIMES IN THE PAST HAS PLACED ENORMOUS ADDITIONAL STRAINS ON THE ECONOMY TO PROVIDE HOUSING, SCHOOLS, MEDICAL FACILITIES AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS, HE ADDED.
/19