MONDAY, MARCH 16, 1992
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GOVERNMENT CONTINUES TO EXPAND INVESTMENT IN EDUCATION
THE GOVERNMENT IS CONTINUING TO INCREASE SPENDING ON THE MAJOR PROGRAMME AREAS, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME PRIORITIES ARE BEING ADJUSTED TO MEET COMMUNITY NEEDS.
THIS WAS STATED BY THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY, MR HAMISH MACLEOD WHEN SPEAKING TO REPORTERS AFTER THE NAMING CEREMONY OF THE WEI HING THEATRE AT THE CITY POLYTECHNIC TODAY (MONDAY).
"WE WOULD BE VERY SHORT-SIGHTED IF WE LOCK OURSELVES INTO A SYSTEM WHERE ONE SIMPLY HAD TO KEEP ON SPENDING MORE MONEY ON EVERYTHING.
"CLEARLY WE HAVE TO ADJUST PRIORITIES. AT THE MOMENT WE ARE PROUD OF OUR BIG EXPANSION PROGRAMME IN TERTIARY EDUCATION, MR MACLEOD SAID, STRESSING THAT SUCH EXPANSION. IS IN THE LONG-TERM INTEREST OF HONG KONG AND IN THE INTEREST OF THE YOUNG PEOPLE WHO CAN ACTUALLY GO TO THOSE INSTITUTES.
FOR EXPENDITURE, KITHER
HE SAID THE QUESTION OF PRIORITIES WITHIN EDUCATION OR BETWEEN EDUCATION AND OTHER AREAS, IS A VERY COMPLEX ONE, AND IT WOULD NOT HELP TO OVER-SIMPLIFY.
"FOR EXAMPLE IN ASSESSING THE AMOUNT WE SPEND ON PRIMARY SECONDARY EDUCATION, ONE HAS TO LOOK AT THE TREND OF PUPILS OF RELEVANT GROUP. IT IS NO USE SIMPLY COMPARING THE OVERALL AMOUNT MONEY."
AND
THE OF
ASKED TO COMMENT ON DEMANDS TO INCREASE EXPENDITURE ON SECONDARY AND PRIMARY EDUCATION, MR MACLEOD SAID: "IF YOU LOOK AT THE FIGURES, PARTICULARLY IF YOU LOOK OVER THE PERIOD OF THE NEXT FRW YEARS, VERY CLEARLY, WE ARE CONTINUING TO EXPAND OUR INVESTMENT IN EDUCATION."
HE SAID THE DEBATE ABOUT EXACTLY HOW ONE SHOULD SPLIT UP THE CAKE AND EXACTLY HOW MUCH PRIORITY SHOULD BE GIVEN TO EACH SECTOR WAS PERFECTLY REASONABLE. "BUT IT IS NOT FAIR TO OVER-SIMPLIFY AND SAY THAT WE ARE SOMEHOW UNDERSPENDING IN THE PRIMARY SECTOR. I DON'T THINK THAT'S TRUE.
"I BELIEVE WE ARE STRIKING THE RIGHT BALANCE, ALTHOUGH OF COURSE THIS IS AN AREA WHICH IS SHIFTING YEAR BY YEAR. AND WE HAVE A STREAM OF RECOMMENDATIONS COMING UP FROM THE EDUCATION COMMISSION, FOR EXAMPLE. SO IT IS NOT BY ANY MEANS A STATIC SITUATION, AND AS THOSE COME OUT WE WILL LOOK AT THEM AND SEE WHICH ONES WE SHOULD DO HE SAID.
FIRST,"
ASKED HOW CONFIDENT HE WAS IN GETTING THE BUDGET PASSED BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, MR MACLEOD SAID HE WOULD NOT LIKE ΤΟ PUT A PERCENTAGE ON THAT BUT HE BELIEVED SOME OF HIS MESSAGES WERE GETTING OVER PRETTY WELL.
"BUT I WON'T PRETEND THAT ALL OF LEGCO ARE ENTIRELY HAPPY WITH EVERY PART OF THE BUDGET. CLEARLY THEY ARE NOT. I CERTAINLY AM HOPEFUL THAT I'LL PERSUADE THOSE MEMBERS WHO ARE STILL NOT ALL THAT HAPPY THAT IF THEY VIEW THE BUDGET AS A PACKAGE, THAT IT IS REASONABLE AND IT IS WORTH SUPPORTING,
HE SAID.
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