WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 1986
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+ IT IS NOT SOMETHING WHICH I THINK THAT HONG KONG PEOPLE WOULD WISH TO RUSH. THE IMPORTANT THING IS TO GET IT RIGHT. BECAUSE IT WILL SET DOWN THE BASIC LAW AND FRAMEWORK FOR THE SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION FROM 1997 UNTIL THE YEAR 2047.
+AND I'M SURE NONE OF YOU WOULD WISH THAT PROCESS TO BE RUSHED, + HE ADDED.
AS TO CONVERGENCE, SIR DAVID SAID THE GOVERNMENT'S GREEN PAPER ON THE REVIEW OF THE REPRESENTATIVE SYSTEM WOULD BE PUBLISHED NEXT YEAR.
+AND IT IS PART OF THIS PROCESS OF GROWING TOGETHER AND MAKING SURE THAT THE SYSTEM WE HAVE IN HONG KONG BEFORE 1997 IS ONE WHICH IS COMPATIBLE WITH THE SYSTEM AFTER 1997. WE DON'T WANT ABRUPT CHANGES AND BREAKS IN 1997. SO IT IS A CAREFUL PROCESS.
+WE MUST ALL BE VERY PATIENT ABOUT IT AND WE MUST ALL THINK VERY CAREFULLY ABOUT IT. IT IS NOT SOMETHING TO TAKE UP EXTREME POSITIONS. IT IS SOMETHING WHICH ALL OF YOU AND ALL OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, MUST THINK VERY CAREFULLY ABOUT,+ HE SAID.
HE ADDED THAT HONG KONG PEOPLE MUST NOT JUST THINK ABOUT THE SUPERFICIAL, EXTREME PROBLEMS BUT ABOUT THE PROBLEMS OF DETAIL.
THE CHIEF SECRETARY REFUTED A SUGGESTION THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT IS GIVING THE AMERICAN COMMUNITY PREFERENCE BY GIVING HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL THE SITE TO BUILD THE NEW SCHOOL.
+NO, I THINK THE POLICY WHICH WE HAVE ADOPTED WITH REGARD TO INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS WHICH WISH TO SET UP IN HONG KONG IS THAT THE SCHOOL SHOULD HAVE IN IT A STREAM WHICH IS AVAILABLE TO HONG KONG PARENTS AND THEIR CHILDREN IF THEY WISH TO PURSUE EDUCATION THROUGH THE SCHOOLS, AND TO PROVIDE FOR ANY SPECIAL NEEDS IN THE COMMUNITY, AND WE'VE HAD THIS POLICY FOR A VERY LONG TIME. AS A RESULT, SCHOOLS LIKE THE GERMAN, SWISS SCHOOL AND SO ON HAVE BEEN BUILT.
+SOME SCHOOLS WHICH WISH TO PURSUE EDUCATION THROUGH THEI R OWN LANGUAGE AND WHICH DON'T OFFER AN OPPORTUNITY REALLY FOR HONG KONG STUDENTS TO GO THROUGH THAT SYSTEM UNLESS THEY HAPPEN TO SPEAK THAT PARTICULAR LANGUAGE DON'T GET THE SAME TREATMENT,+ HE SAID.
SIR DAVID POINTED OUT THAT MANY LOCAL STUDENTS GO TO HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL IN PREFERENCE TO OTHER SCHOOLS AND THEN EVENTUALLY GO INTO THE AMERICAN SYSTEM OF EDUCATION.
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+IN THIS INTERNATIONAL COSMOPOLITAN COMMUNITY OF OURS, DIVERSITY OF EDUCATION OPPORTUNITY IS A VERY WELCOME DEVELOPMENT, AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD WELCOME, HE CONTINUED.
/ON THE