12
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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 1993
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HOPE THAT WILL TAKE SOME OF THE HEAT OUT OF THE ISSUE, AND OUT OF THE CLASSROOM," HE SAID.
"BUT IT IS BECOMING OBVIOUS THAT WE NEED TO TACKLE THE LARGER PROBLEM OF OLDER SCHOOLS BUILT TO SPECIFICATIONS OF YESTERDAY RATHER THAN TODAY."
MR PATTEN SAID THE LEGCO WOULD BE ASKED ΤΟ APPROVE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMME, THE INITIAL STAGE OF WHICH WILL COST OVER $600 MILLION.
"ITS FIRST TARGET WILL BE TO MODERNISE 60 PRIMARY AND 50 SECONDARY SCHOOLS OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS, HE ADDED.
"THIS IS AN IMPORTANT INVESTMENT IN PROVIDING OUR STUDENTS WITH THE PHYSICAL FACILITIES THEY NEED IN ORDER TO EXCEL.
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THE GOVERNOR SAID THERE WERE THREE OTHER AREAS IN WHICH A SPECIAL EFFORT HAD TO BE MADE :
*
*
FIRST, MUCH BETTER STANDARDS OF CHINESE (INCLUDING PUTONGHUA) BOTH IN RESPONSE TO OUR GROWING INTERDEPENDENCE WITH THE CHINESE ECONOMY AND IN PREPARATION FOR 1997;
SECOND, HIGH STANDARDS OF ENGLISH TO MEET THE DEMANDS OF THE GLOBAL BUSINESS COMMUNITY AND ΤΟ MAINTAIN HONG KONG'S POSITION AS THE PREMIER ASIAN BUSINESS LOCATION; AND
THIRD, COMPUTER LITERACY SO THAT OUR YOUNG WORKERS HAVE THE PRIMARY EMPLOYMENT QUALIFICATION OF THE NEXT CENTURY.
MR PATTEN PROPOSED THAT A LANGUAGE FUND SHOULD BE CREATED, WITH AN IMMEDIATE INITIAL ALLOCATION OF $300 MILLION, TO LAUNCH PROGRAMMES TO IMPROVE PROFICIENCY IN BOTH CHINESE AND ENGLISH.
THE
TEACHERS.
"WE
FIRST STEP MUST BE TO UPGRADE THE SKILLS OF OUR LANGUAGE THERE WILL BE NEW, INTENSIVE COURSES TO HELP THEM.
WILL DEVELOP ADDITIONAL TEACHING MATERIALS TO SUPPORT THE TEACHER IN THE CLASSROOM, HE SAID.
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"WE ALSO NEED TO IMPROVE THE LANGUAGE LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES STUDENTS, NOT ONLY IN THE CLASSROOM BUT ALSO THROUGH EXTRA- CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES.
FOR
WE WILL BE LOOKING FOR THE MOST UP-TO-DATE
APPROACHES FOR
ACHIEVING THIS GOAL."
MR PATTEN SAID COMPUTING SKILLS WOULD BE VITAL TO THE CONTINUED DEVELOPMENT OF HONG KONG AS AN INTERNATIONAL SERVICES CENTRE IN THE
NEXT CENTURY.
CURRENTLY, THERE WERE FEWER THAN 5,000 COMPUTERS IN SCHOOLS, AND ONLY ABOUT ONE IN THREE OF THE SECONDARY STUDENTS PURSUES SOME SORT OF COMPUTER TRAINING.
/BOTH FIGURES