WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5, 1986
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VALIDATION SYSTEM FOR HIGHER EDUCATION PLANNED
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GOVERNOR
THE GOVERNMENT IS CONSIDERING SETTING UP A PROVISIONAL LOCAL VALIDATION BODY AND RECOMMENDATIONS ON THIS WILL SOON BE PUT TO THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, THE GOVERNOR, SIR EDWARD YOUDE, SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
+THIS BODY WILL BE CHARGED WITH THE TASK OF ESTABLISHING A SYSTEM OF VALIDATION WHICH IS BEST SUITED TO THE NEEDS OF HONG KONG AND WHICH WILL ENSURE THAT THE COURSES OFFERED BY OUR LOCAL TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS ATTAIN AND MAINTAIN HIGH AND INTERNATIONALLY ACCEPTABLE STANDARDS, + HE SAID.
SPEAKING AT THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY DINNER OF THE HONG KONG BAPTIST COLLEGE, SIR EDWARD SAID THE SETTING UP OF A VALIDATION BODY WAS ONE OF THE TWO PROPOSALS WHICH WOULD ENABLE HONG KONG TO MOVE CLOSER TO SELF-SUFFICIENCY IN HIGHER EDUCATION.
THE OTHER, AS RECOMMENDED BY THE UNIVERSITY AND POLYTECHNIC GRANTS COMMITTEE THE GOVERNMENT HAD APPROVED GRANTS AMOUNTING TO $45 MILLION TO THE FIVE HIGHER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS FOR RESEARCH PURPOSES DURING THE NEXT TRIENNIUM, HE SAID.
+ IMPROVEMENTS IN RESEARCH ACTIVITIES AT THE TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS WILL NOT ONLY BE OF BENEFIT ACADEMICALLY THEY WILL ALSO HELP TO ENABLE US IN FUTURE TO OBTAIN LOCALLY QUALIFIED TEACHERS FOR OUR TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS, HE ADDED.
FURTHER INVESTMENT IN THIS AREA WOULD BE NEEDED WHEN ADDITIONAL RESOURCES COULD BE MADE AVAILABLE, HE SAID.
SIR EDWARD SAID HONG KONG HAD ACHIEVED GREAT PROGRESS IN THE
FROM ONE UNIVERSITY IN THE 1950'S PROVISION OF HIGHER EDUCATION TO THE PRESENT FIVE HIGHER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS FUNDED BY GOVERNMENT THROUGH THE UNIVERSITY AND POLYTECHNIC GRANTS COMMITTEE WHICH AWARDED DEGREES OR WHICH WOULD DO SO IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
AT THE PRESENT RATE OF EXPANSION, HE SAID, THE FIVE INSTITUTIONS WOULD PROVIDE SUFFICIENT FIRST YEAR DEGREE PLACES FOR ABOUT EIGHT PER CENT OF THE MEAN OF THE RELEVANT AGE GROUP BY 1994-95.
+ALTHOUGH THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENT, WE CANNOT AFFORD TO REST ON OUR LAURELS,+ HE SAID.
IF HONG KONG WAS TO MAINTAIN ITS ROLE AS A MAJOR INTERNATIONAL MANUFACTURING, FINANCIAL AND BUSINESS CENTRE, IT HAD TO HAVE A SUFFICIENTLY LARGE POOL OF HIGHLY TRAINED PEOPLE WHO WERE INNOVATIVE, WHO COULD ADAPT TO CHANGES IN THE INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENT AND CAPABLE OF PROVIDING THE NECESSARY LEADERSHIP IN THE FACE OF THE OPPORTUNITIES WHICH THE FUTURE HELD, HE NOTED.
/SIR EDWARD