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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 1987
A CHINESE TEXTBOOKS COMMITTEE CHAIRED BY THE HON SZETO WAH WAS FORMED LAST MAY TO IDENTIFY THE DEMAND FOR AND TO ENSURE THE AVAILABILITY OF GOOD-QUALITY TEXTBOOKS IN CHINESE TO MEET THE NEEDS OF SCHOOLS, MR BRIDGE SAID.
THE COMMITTEE HAD COMPLETED THE FIRST STAGE OF ITS WORK AND PUT FORWARD PROPOSALS WHICH THE GOVERNMENT WAS NOW LOOKING AT AND WOULD AIM TO RESPOND TO AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, HE ADDED.
WORK WAS ALSO IN HAND TO PROMOTE THE USE OF CHINESE IN SCHOOLS, AND IN ITS REPORT NO. 1, THE EDUCATION COMMISSION RECOMMENDED THAT SECONDARY SCHOOLS SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED TO ADOPT CHINESE AS THE TEACHING MEDIUM.
THIS RECOMMENDATION HAD BEEN ACCEPTED BY THE GOVERNMENT AND THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT WROTE TO INDIVIDUAL SCHOOL AUTHORITIES LAST YEAR AS A RESULT OF WHICH MORE THAN THREE-QUARTERS OF PUBLIC SECTOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS EXPRESSED SOME INTEREST IN INCREASING THE USE OF CHINESE AS THE MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION.
+THE AVAILABILITY OF A GOOD SUPPLY OF TEXTBOOKS IN CHINESE IS, OF COURSE, A FUNDAMENTAL REQUIREMENT IF THIS INTEREST ON THE PART OF SCHOOLS IS TO BE GIVEN EFFECT, MR BRIDGE SAID.
SUBSTANTIAL PROGRESS HAD ALSO BEEN MADE IN A NUMBER OF OTHER AREAS IDENTIFIED BY THE WORKING PARTY.
+THE GOVERNMENT HAS STEPPED UP ITS EFFORTS TO DEVELOP THE ABILITY OF GOVERNMENT OFFICERS AT ALL LEVELS TO COMMUNICATE MORE EFFECTIVELY IN WRITTEN CHINESE AND HAS PROVIDED GUIDELINES ON THE STYLE AND FORMAT FOR OFFICIAL CORRESPONDENCE IN CHINESE.+
MOREOVER, HE ADDED, OFFICERS WHO NEEDED A WORKING KNOWLEDGE OF CHINESE TO DO THEIR JOB EFFECTIVELY WERE REQUIRED TO PROVE THEIR COMPETENCE IN THE USE OF CHINESE BEFORE APPOINTMENT.
+SINCE 1985, A COMPULSORY TEST OF ABILITY IN THE USE OF CHINESE HAS BEEN INTRODUCED INTO THE COMMON RECRUITMENT EXAMINATION FOR ADMISSION TO THE ADMINISTRATIVE, EXECUTIVE, LABOUR OFFICER AND MANAGEMENT SERVICES GRADES, MR BRIDGE SAID.
THE USE OF CHINESE FOR COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT AND THE PUBLIC HAD EXPANDED GREATLY SINCE THE ENACTMENT IN 1974 OF THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGES ORDINANCE, WHICH DECLARED THAT BOTH CHINESE AND ENGLISH WERE TO BE CONSIDERED THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGES IN HONG KONG.
MORE THAN 450 CHINESE LANGUAGE OFFICERS WERE NOW WORKING IN VARIOUS GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS INVOLVED IN TRANSLATING FROM ENGLISH INTO CHINESE FORMS, PUBLIC NOTICES, LETTERS, AND OTHER DOCUMENTS INTENDED FOR RECIPIENTS WHO MIGHT NOT UNDERSTAND ENGLISH, MR BRIDGE SAID.
/SUBSTANTIAL
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