47
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 1988
MEANWHILE, THE OPEN LEARNING
INSTITUTE WOULD CATER FOR THE NEEDS OF THOSE WHO HAD NOT HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO BENEFIT FROM HIGHER EDUCATION, AS WELL AS THOSE WHO NEEDED TO LEARN NEW SKILLS.
THE GOVERNOR SAID THE PLANNING COMMITTEE FOR THE INSTITUTE, APPOINTED IN JANUARY THIS YEAR UNDER THE CHAIRMANSHIP OF THE HON CHENG HON-KWAN, HAD ALREADY MADE GOOD PROGRESS.
"A DIRECTOR WILL BE RECRUITED IN THE LEGISLATION ESTABLISHING THE INSTITUTE WILL BE COUNCIL WITHIN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS, HE SAID.
11
AND
NEAR FUTURE PRESENTED то THIS
"WE EXPECT THAT 3,000 STUDENTS WILL ENROL IN THE AUTUMN OF AND THAT THIS WILL INCREASE ΤΟ 20,000 STUDENTS BY THE
1989, MID-1990'S.
TURNING TO TECHNICAL EDUCATION AND INDUSTRIAL TRAINING, SIR DAVID NOTED THAT THE EIGHT TECHNICAL INSTITUTES OPERATED BY THE VOCATIONAL TRAINING COUNCIL PROVIDED 62,000 FULL-TIME AND PART-TIME PLACES AT BOTH CRAFT AND TECHNICIAN LEVELS, WITH MORE THAN 19,000 STUDENTS GRADUATING EACH YEAR.
"THREE OF THESE INSTITUTES
ANOTHER 3,000 FULL-TIME AND 1990, HE SAID.
ARE NOW BEING EXPANDED SO THAT PLACES WILL BE PROVIDED BY
PART-TIME
"IN ADDITION, THE COUNCIL OPERATES 16 INDUSTRIAL TRAINING CENTRES WITH 20,000 PLACES.
"A NEW TRAINING CENTRE OFFERING COURSES IN WHOLESALE, RETAIL, IMPORT AND EXPORT TRADES WILL OPEN IN 1990.
THESE
SIR DAVID SAID HE HOPED EMPLOYERS WOULD MAKE FULL USE OF TRAINING FACILITIES AND WOULD TELL THE COUNCIL IF THEY HAD SPECIFIC TRAINING NEEDS WHICH WERE NOT BEING CATERED FOR AT PRESENT.
THE GOVERNOR ALSO SPOKE ON THE STRUCTURE OF TERTIARY AS DISCUSSED IN THE EDUCATION COMMISSION'S RECENT REPORT.
EDUCATION
THE REPORT RECOMMENDED A COMMON ENTRY POINT TO TERTIARY EDUCATION AFTER TWO YEARS' SIXTH FORM EDUCATION AND THAT THE LENGTH OF FIRST DEGREE COURSES AT ALL TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS SHOULD IN PRINCIPLE BE THE SAME FOR ANY GIVEN SUBJECT, REGARDLESS OF THE INSTITUTION WHERE IT WAS BEING STUDIED.
HAD
SIR DAVID NOTED THAT DURING THE FOUR-MONTH PUBLIC CONSULTATION PERIOD WHICH BEGAN IN MID-JUNE AND ENDED THIS WEEK, FEW PEOPLE HAD CHALLENGED THE IDEA OF A COMMON ENTRY POINT, AND ATTENTION FOCUSSED ON WHETHER THE IDEAL LENGTH FOR UNDERGRADUATE COURSES THREE OR FOUR YEARS.
WAS
/"IN ITS