THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 1985
CALL TO IMPROVE KINDERGARTEN, TERTIARY EDUCATION
*****
THE GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN URGED TO PAY MORE ATTENTION TO THE PROBLEMS WHICH CHILDREN FACE BOTH BEFORE AND AFTER THEY RECEIVE THE IR PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION.
SPEAKING AT THE POLICY DEBATE IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY, THE HON PETER C. WONG CALLED FOR A MORE SERIOUS EFFORT TO IMPROVE KINDERGARTEN EDUCATION AND TO RATIONALISE THE CONFUSING SIXTH-FORM PUBLIC EXAMINATION SYSTEM.
HE ASKED THE GOVERNMENT TO DO MUCH MORE THAN IT WAS DOING NOW IN IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF KINDERGARTEN EDUCATION GENERALLY, THEREBY ENSURING THAT ALL OUR CHILDREN WOULD HAVE A GOOD START
IN EDUCATION.
ON THE QUESTION OF SIXTH-FORM EXAMINATIONS, HE SAID HE FULLY APPRECIATED THAT THIS WAS NOT A SIMPLE MATTER GIVEN THE DIFFERENT COURSE STRUCTURES OF OUR TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS.
+HOWEVER, IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT A SOLUTION MUST BE FOUND AND FOUND QUICKLY TO RESOLVE THIS MATTER,+ HE SAID.
REFERRING TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A THIRD UNIVERSITY, MR WONG SAID HE WAS PLEASED TO HEAR THAT THE GOVERNMENT INTENDED TO PROCEED WITH THE PLANNING OF THE PROJECT AND THEREBY INCREASE THE PROVISION OF FIRST YEAR, FIRST DEGREE PLACES TO 7 500.
+1 AM SURE THAT THIS IS WHAT HONG KONG NEEDS AND WANTS AS IT ENTERS THE 1990'S,+ HE SAID.
TURNING TO COMPUTER EDUCATION, MR WONG SAID HE WAS SOMEWHAT DISAPPOINTED THAT APART FROM THE INTRODUCTION OF COMPUTER STUDIES AS AN OPTIONAL SUBJECT IN FORMS 4 TO 5, THE GOVERNMENT DID NOT YET APPEAR TO HAVE ANY CONCRETE PLANS TO INTRODUCE COMPUTER AWARENESS COURSES FOR ALL CHILDREN DURING THE COMPULSORY EDUCATION PERIOD.
+ IN MY VIEW, THIS MUST BE REMEDIED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE IF WE ARE TO PREPARE OUR NEXT GENERATION SUCCESSFULLY FOR THE SOCIETY OF TOMORROW, HE SAID.
+SIMILARLY, I WOULD URGE THE GOVERNMENT TO PROCEED AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE WITH THE EXPANSION OF OPEN EDUCATION AS IT IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE MEANS OF ENABLING PEOPLE TO UPDATE AND UPGRADE THEIR KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS, THEREBY BENEFITTING THEMSELVES AS WELL AS THE COMMUNITY GENERALLY, HE ADDED.
ON THE SUBJECT OF LEGAL AID, MR WONG WAS IN FAVOUR OF THE LEGAL PROFESSION ADMINISTRATING THE LEGAL AID SCHEME.
+1 AM NOT ALONE IN BELIEVING THAT THE DIRECT PROVISION OF LEGAL AID BY GOVERNMENT IS NOT REALLY DESIRABLE,
/+IT IS ..