WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9, 1985
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PRIORITY URGED FOR ADULT CIVIC EDUCATION
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ADULT EDUCATION SHOULD BE GIVEN GREATER PRIORITY AND WAYS AND MEANS SHOULD BE SOUGHT TO ENCOURAGE HONG KONG'S ADULT CITIZENS TO TAKE CIVIC EDUCATION SERIOUSLY, THE HON ALEX WU SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.
SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF THE MOTION ON THE REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT WHITE PAPER, MR WU SAID: I PUT PARTICULAR EMPHASIS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF ADULT EDUCATION BECAUSE IT IS MY HOPE THAT ADULTS AND YOUTHS ALIKE WILL LOSE NO TIME IN LEARNING ABOUT THIS NEW SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT.
+WE MUST BEAR IN MIND THAT WE HAVE JUST BEGUN TO LEARN ABOUT DEMOCRACY, WHICH IS LIKE EMBARKING ON A CRASH REMEDIAL COURSE WITH WHICH WE MUST HASTEN TO DIGEST THE ESSENCE OF DEMOCRACY BEFORE WE CAN MAKE PROPER USE OF IT. +
IN VIEW OF THE FACT THAT MOST PEOPLE KNOW LITTLE ABOUT AND ARE NOT PSYCHOLOGICALLY PREPARED FOR REGISTRATION AS VOTERS, NOT TO MENTION THE OBLIGATIONS AND DUTIES OF A VOTER, MR WU ASKED WHETHER THE GOVERNMENT HAD PROVIDED FOR THE EDUCATION OF VOTERS BY HEIGHTENING THEIR AWARENESS OF THEIR RIGHTS AND DUTIES WHEN DRAWING UP THE CURRICULUM OF CIVIC EDUCATION.
+ I HOPE THE GOVERNMENT WILL CLARIFY IF CIVIC EDUCATION PROVIDES, APART FROM GUIDANCE, ANY MEANS OF TESTING THE AVERAGE VOTER'S UNDERSTANDING OF HIS OBLIGATIONS, + HE SAID.
+ARE HONG KONG PEOPLE, WHO ARE ALWAYS HARD PRESSED FOR TIME. WILLING TO RECEIVE THIS KIND OF EDUCATION AND CAN THEY AFFORD THE TIME FOR IT?+ HE ASKED,
MR WU BELIEVED THERE WOULD BE +COUNTLESS DIFFICULTIES+ IN IMPLEMENTING A NEW SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT.
HE STRESSED THE IMPORTANCE OF THE 1987 REVIEW WHICH COULD HELP TO ENSURE THAT THE NEW SYSTEM WOULD WORK WELL.
+ I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT, UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF THE GOVERNMENT AND THE COOPERATION OF THE PUBLIC. HONG KONG WILL MOVE SUCCESSFULLY TOWARDS 'HONG KONG PEOPLE RULING HONG KONG, HE SAID.
MR WU LIKENED HONG KONG'S PRESENT SITUATION TO A BIG COMPANY ABOUT TO BE LISTED.
+ IT HOPES NOT ONLY TO MAINTAIN ITS GLORIOUS ACHIEVEMENT (PROSPERITY), BUT ALSO TO DO EVEN BETTER UNDER THE JOINT ADMINISTRATION OF ITS ABLE DIRECTORS, BOTH OLD AND NEW.
+ THE DIRECTORS SHOULD EXERCISE GREATER CAUTION BOTH BEFORE AND AFTER THE LISTING, TO AVOID CONFUSION AND LOSS TO THE COMPANY'S BUSINESS.
+ I HOPE THAT, WHEN IT GOES PUBLIC, THE LISTING PRICE WILL NOT BE LOWER THAN THE BOTTOM PRICE AND I WISH IT SMOOTH SAILING AHEAD, + MR WU SAID.
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