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SATURDAY, JUNE 29, 1985
ILLITERACY
THE ENQUIRY ON ILLITERACY WAS CONDUCTED DURING THE LAST QUARTER OF 1984, IT SHOWED THAT THE TOTAL NUMBER OF ILLITERATE PERSONS WAS ESTIMATED TO BE ABOUT 459 000, REPRESENTING 12 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL POPULATION AGED 15 AND ÖVER.
THE SURVEY SHOWED ALSO THAT THE ILLITERACY RATE WAS HIGHER AMONG THE OLDER PEOPLE, AND FAR GREATER AMONG WOMEN THAN MEN IN THE RATIO OF FIVE TO ONE. IN THE 50 TO 59-YEAR-OLD GROUP, ILLITERACY AMONG MEN WAS ABOUT EIGHT PER CENT AND AMONG WOMEN ABOUT 42 PER CENT.
AND FROM THE AGE OF 60 AND ABOVE, THE ILLITERACY RATE AMONG MEN WAS 15 PER CENT AND AMONG WOMEN 65 PER CENT.
GEOGRAPHICALLY, THE NEW TERRITORIES HAD THE HIGHEST ILLITERACY RATE OF ABOUT 13 PER CENT AND AS FAR AS WORKERS IN GENERAL WERE CONCERNED, THE HIGHEST RATE OF ILLITERACY WAS AMONG AGRICULTURAL WORKERS AND FISHERMEN.
HIGHER EDUCATION
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AS FOR HIGHER EDUCATION ATTAINED OUTSIDE HONG KONG BY LOCAL RESIDENTS. A SURVEY CARRIED OUT BETWEEN APRIL AND JUNE LAST YEAR SHOWED A TOTAL OF 50 000 OR 1.4 PER CENT RESIDENTS AGED 18 AND OVER WHO HAD UNDERGONE SOME FORMAL EDUCATION PREVIOUSLY IN HONG KONG WERE ESTIMATED TO HAVE RETURNED AFTER RECEIVING HIGHER EDUCATION.
OVER ONE-QUARTER OF THESE RESIDENTS OBTAINED THE IR QUALIFICATIONS IN CANADA, ABOUT ONE-FIFTH EACH FROM THE UNITED KINGDOM AND THE UNITED STATES, AND ABOUT ONE-EIGHTH EACH FROM CHINA AND TAIWAN,
AMONG ALL PROFESSIONAL AND TECHNICAL WORKERS IN HONG KONG, ABOUT 15 PER CENT OF THEM WERE THOSE RESIDENTS WHO HAD RETURNED AFTER RECEIVING HIGHER EDUCATION ABROAD. THESE PERSONS ALSO ACCOUNTED FOR SOME NINE PER CENT OF ALL ADMINISTRATIVE AND MANAGER I AL WORKERS IN HONG KONG.
SMOKING PATTERNS
THE ENQUIRY INTO SMOKING PATTERNS, CARRIED OUT IN JULY 1984, WAS THE THIRD SUCH STUDY UNDERTAKEN.
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