WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 1985
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MRS CHOW BELIEVED IT WOULD NOT BE UNREASONABLE TO INCREASE THIS FEE TO $90 PER MONTH, AS ONE WAS AT THE MOMENT PAYING AT LEAST TWICE THAT FOR KINDERGARTEN EDUCATION AND THIS INCREASE WOULD BRING IN AN ADDITIONAL $21 MILLION A YEAR TO PARTIALLY OFFSET THE ABOVE EXPENDITURE.
MRS CHOW ALSO COMMENDED ON GOVERNMENT'S ARGUMENT AGAINST THE MOVE OF BUYING FORM IV AND V PLACES IN PRIVATE SCHOOLS.
+ON THE QUESTION OF QUALITY, WE ARE PRESENTLY BUYING A TOTAL OF 70 000 FORM TO FORM 111 PLACES FROM PRIVATE SCHOOLS.
+ IF WE COULD BUY FOR FORM TO 11 AS AN INTERIM MEASURE WHILE THE SCHOOL BUILDING PROGRAMME IS BEING IMPLEMENTED, WE CAN EQUALLY BUY FOR FORM IV AND V AS AN INTERIM MEASURE, + SHE SAID.
AS FOR THE QUESTION OF PROFITS, MRS CHOW SAID GOVERNMENT COULD EXERCISE STRICTER CONTROL AND SUPERVISION TO ENSURE THAT SUBSIDIES WOULD BE USED IN SERVICE AND FACILITIES.
+THE ALTERNATIVE IS TO SPEED UP THE SCHOOL BUILDING PROGRAMME SO THAT THE INTERIM MEASURE OF BUYING PLACES IN FORM IV AND VIS REDUCED TO A THREE-YEAR PERIOD RATHER THAN FOUR, THEREBY SAVING ONE YEAR OF EXPENDITURE, SHE SUGGESTED.
+ IF THE GOVERNMENT FINDS DIFFICULTY IN BUYING PLACES IN PRIVATE SCHOOLS FOR FORM IV AND V. THEN THE ENTIRE SCHOOL BUILDING PROGRAMME SHOULD BE RESCHEDULED TO ENABLE THE PHASING OUT OF THE JSEA IN 1988, + SHE SAID.
+THERE ARE 3-3/4 YEARS BETWEEN NOW AND THE OPENING OF THE 1988 SCHOOL TERM, I CANNOT BE CONVINCED THAT WITH TYPICAL HONG KONG EFFICIENCY WE CANNOT MEET THE DEADLINE, SHE STRESSED.
TURNING TO OTHER POINTS OF THE REPORT, MRS CHOW SAID SHE CONSIDERED THE RECOMMENDATION ON LANGUAGE AS PARTICULARLY SENSIBLE.
+WHILE THE MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION IN THE MOTHER TONGUE SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED AND ASSISTED, I AGREE THAT THE SCHOOLS SHOULD BE GIVEN THE CHOICE, GIVING DUE CONSIDERATION AND EMPHASIS TO TRADITION AND ACHIEVEMENT, SHE SAID.
ON THE ISSUE OF OPEN EDUCATION, MRS CHOW SAID SHE WOULD LIKE TO SEE MUCH MORE THOUGHT AND ACTION ON EXPANDING THE EDUCATION FUNCTION OF THE MASS MEDIA.
CITING THE JOINT VENTURE ON INSTRUCTIONAL TELEVISION BETWEEN THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY AND COMMERCIAL TELEVISION AS AN EXAMPLE, SHE SAID THE BROADCASTING MEDIA SHOULD BE DEVELOPED MUCH FURTHER FOR THE PURPOSE OF OPEN AND EXTENDED EDUCATION.
+APART FROM THE FACT THAT THE ELECTRONIC MEDIA ENJOYS MAXIMUM ACCEPTANCE AND PENETRATION, IT OFFERS COST-EFFECTIVENESS, AND ECONOMY OF SCALE AND SPACE, WHILE OUR COMPACT GEOGRAPHY PROVIDES THE BEST OPPORTUNITY FOR CONTACT BETWEEN STUDENTS AND INSTRUCTORS AS AND WHEN THE NEED ARISES FOR DIALOGUE AND COMMUNICATION.
+THIS IS CERTAINLY ONE ASPECT THAT DESERVES A CLOSER LOOK BY THE BROADCASTING REVIEW BOARD, SHE SAID.
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