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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 31, 1993
WAY FORWARD FOR EDUCATION EXCITING AND CHALLENGING
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IN THE
ON
THE INCREASED FUNDING FOR EDUCATION PROVIDED APPROPRIATION BILL, 1993 W11L ENABLE THE GOVERNMENT TO MOVE FORWARD ITS COMPREHENSIVE AND COHERENT PACKAGE OF POLICIES то IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF SCHOOL EDUCATION, THE SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER, MR JOHN CHAN, SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
IT WILL ALSO ENABLE THE GOVERNMENT TO CONTINUE WITH ITS TERTIARY EXPANSION PROGRAMME AND TO ENHANCE SUPPORT FOR ACADEMIC RESEARCH, HE ADDED.
SPEAKING AT THE RESUMED BUDGET DEBATE IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, MR CHAN
DESCRIBED THE WAY AHEAD AS "EXCITING AS WELL AS CHALLENGING”.
SOME MEMBERS HAVE NOTED THAT MANY COUNTRIES WITH A PER CAPITA GDP COMPARABLE TO HONG KONG SPEND A GREATER PROPORTION OF THEIR GDP ON
EDUCATION.
L
"[ DO NOT DISPUTE THIS, HE SAID. "DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES ASCRIBE DIFFERENT ROLES TO THEIR PUBLIC SECTOR, AND THIS IS REFLECTED BY OTHER INDICATORS AS WELL.'
+T
"FOR EXAMPLE, IN TERMS OF TAX RECEIPTS AS A PERCENTAGE OF
GDP. HONG KONG REGISTERED 13 PER CENT IN 1992/93. BY COMPARISON, THE FIGURES FOR 1989 WERE 46 PER CENT FOR THE NETHERLANDS, BETWEEN 30 AND 40 PER CENT FOR THE UNITED KINGDOM, ITALY, SPAIN, AUSTRALIA AND ZEALAND AND 17 PER CENT FOR SINGAPORE.
NEW
"IN BACH CASE A BROADLY COMPARABLE PERCENTAGE WAS RECORDED FOR THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TOTAL PUBLIC SPENDING AND GDP.
"
MR CHAN BELIEVED THAT GREATER SPENDING DID NOT NECESSARILY PRODUCE PROPORTIONATELY BETTER RESULTS, ADDING THAT "WE ALL RECOGNISE THAT TEACHERS HAVE A PIVOTAL ROLE".
HR SAID THE GOVERNMENT WAS WORKING PURPOSEFULLY TOWARDS IMPROVING THE PREPARATION OF TEACHERS AND FOSTERING A MORE SUPPORTIVE WORKING ENVIRONMENT TO HELP THEM DO THEIR JOB MORE EFFECTIVELY.
IN THIS RESPECT, THE GOVERNMENT HAD APPOINTED THE PROVISIONAL GOVERNING COUNCIL OF THE NEW INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION AND HAD EARMARKED RESOURCES OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS FOR THE INSTITUTE'S DEVELOPMENT.
ON KINDERGARTEN EDUCATION, MR CHAN RECALLED THAT DURING A MOTION DEBATE ON THE SUBJECT IN FEBRUARY THIS YEAR, HE UNDERTOOK то CONSIDER PROPOSALS FOR A SCHEME TO SUPPLEMENT KINDERGARTEN TEACHER SALARIES, AND FOR KINDERGARTENS EVENTUALLY TO BE BROUGHT WITHIN THE SCOPE OF SUBSIDISED EDUCATION.
DETAILED EXAMINATION OF THESE PROPOSALS HAS STARTED IN EARNEST, BUT THEY DO HAVE SUBSTANTIAL POLICY AS WELL AS FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS WHICH WILL TAKE TIME TO THINK THROUGH, HE SAID.
TI
/AS REGARDS