WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 8. 1989
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SEM CONFIDENT TERTIARY EDUCATION TARGET CAN BE ACHIEVED
DETAILED EXAMINATION OF RESOURCES. SPACE. MANPOWER AND MANAGEMENT BEFORE THE TARGET OF 15,000 FIRST YEAR, FIRST DEGREE PLACES BY 1994-95 WAS ANNOUNCED, GAVE GROUNDS FOR CONFIDENCE THAT IT COULD BE ACHIEVED, THE SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER, THE HON K.Y. YEUNG, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY 1.
SPEAKING IN THE RESUMED DEBATE ON THE GOVERNOR'S POLICY SPEECH, MR YEUNG SAID HIS DISCUSSIONS WITH THE UNIVERSITY AND POLYTECHNIC GRANTS COMMITTEE (UPGC) LAST SEPTEMBER HAD CONFIRMED THIS VIEW.
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PRIORITY WOULD BE SECURED IN THE ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES FOR AN EXPANSION PROGRAMME INVOLVING $1.7 BILLION IN CAPITAL EXPENDITURE AND $2.8 BILLION IN RECURRENT EXPENDITURE UP TO 1994-95. HE SAID.
WHEN DETAILED ESTIMATES WERE AVAILABLE THEY WOULD BE PUT TO THE FINANCE COMMITTEE FOR APPROVAL, MR YEUNG ADDED.
"WE ARE CONFIDENT THAT SUFFICIENT CAPACITY CAN BE FOUND FOR THE EXPANSION OF DEGREE PLACES AND FOR SUB-DEGREE COURSES то BE TRANSFERRED FROM THE POLYTECHNICS TO THE VOCATIONAL TRAINING COUNCIL (VTC}.
"THE UPGC IS ALSO CONSIDERING WHETHER CERTAIN POST COLLEGES COULD QUALIFY FOR DEGREE WORK. HE SAID.
SECONDARY
"MORE IMPORTANTLY, I SHARE MEMBERS' CONCERN THAT WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO RECRUIT AN ADEQUATE COMPLEMENT OF STAFF OF THE RIGHT CALIBRE.
"DESPITE THE EVENTS OF RECENT MONTHS, THERE HAS BEEN NO FALLING OFF OF INTEREST IN ACADEMIC EMPLOYMENT FROM EITHER LOCAL OR OVERSEAS SOURCES," MR YEUNG SAID.
INDEED. THE EXPERIENCE OF OUR TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS SUGGESTS THAT THERE ARE SUBSTANTIAL OVERSEAS SOURCES THAT WE HAVE ONLY JUST BEGUN TO TAP," HE ADDED.
MR YEUNG SAID HE WAS CONFIDENT THAT TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS WOULD BE ABLE ΤΟ COMPETE SUCCESSFULLY FOR STAFF, GIVEN COMPETITIVE AND APPROPRIATE TERMS OF SERVICE, AND ALSO THE INCENTIVE OF ADEQUATE FUNDING OF RESEARCH WORK.
TURNING TO A SUGGESTION THAT THERE MIGHT BE INSUFFICIENT SIXTH FORM LEAVERS OF MATRICULATION STANDARD TO FILL THE LARGE NUMBER OF NEW UNDERGRADUATE PLACES. MR YEUNG SAID BASED ON HISTORICAL TRENDS AND DEMOGRAPHIC ESTIMATES THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS WITH TWO 'A' LEVEL PASSES OR MORE SHOULD RISE TO AT LEAST 23 PER CENT OF THE TARGET AGE GROUP BY 1994-95.
"THUS A PROVISION OF FIRST DEGREE PLACES FOR 18 PER CENT OF THE AGE GROUP IS REALISTIC. HE SAID.
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