N
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1994
MILLION,
TERTIARY EDUCATION WILL GET AN ESTIMATED $8, 150 SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE OF $864 MILLION OVER THE FIGURE FOR 1993-94.
A
OUT OF THE ADDITIONAL EXPENDITURE, $635 MILLION IS GEARED ΤΟ CATER FOR THE GROWTH IN TERTIARY STUDENT NUMBERS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TERTIARY EDUCATION EXPANSION PROGRAMME. AN ADDITIONAL 1.980 FIRST-YEAR, FIRST-DEGREE PLACES WILL BE PROVIDED IN 1994-95.
"WE ARE WELL ON TRACK TO ACHIEVE THE DECLARED PROVIDING FOR 14,500 FIRST-YEAR, FIRST-DEGREE PLACES, OR 18 OF THE RELEVANT AGE GROUP, BY 1994-95," SAID MR LAM.
TARGET OF PER CENT
"CONSIDERING THE SHORT TIME THAT WE HAVE ALLOWED FOR THE PLANNED EXPANSION, THE ACHIEVEMENT IS REMARKABLE INDEED, THANKS TO THE EFFORTS OF BOTH THE UNIVERSITY AND POLYTECHNIC GRANTS COMMITTEE AND THE TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS THEMSELVES TO DELIVER THE TARGET ON TIME, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME MAINTAINING THE QUALITY OF TERTIARY EDUCATION AT AN INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNISED STANDARD.
14
IN LINE WITH THE GOVERNMENT POLICY, MR LAM CONTINUED, AN ADDITIONAL $161 MILLION WOULD BE ALLOCATED TO THE STUDENT FINANCE ASSISTANCE AGENCY TO BOOST THE LOCAL STUDENT FINANCIAL SCHEME FOR TERTIARY STUDENTS, AND ANOTHER $49 MILLION FOR ACADEMIC LOCAL TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS.
RESEARCH BY
FOLLOWING THE COMPLETION OF TWO TECHNICAL COLLEGES BY THE VOCATIONAL TRAINING COUNCIL, IN CHAI WAN AND TSING YI RESPECTIVELY, IN SEPTEMBER LAST YEAR, THE STUDENT ENROLMENT FOR DIPLOMA/HIGHER DIPLOMA COURSES IS EXPECTED TO BUILD UP TO 4,557 FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT IN
1994-95.
AN ADDITIONAL $106 MILLION HAS BEEN BUDGETED FOR TECHNICAL EDUCATION, INCLUDING THE STUDENT POPULATION INCREASE IN NEW TECHNICAL COLLEGES.
TURNING TO THE EMPLOYMENT PROGRAMME, MR LAM SAID $14 MILLION WAS BARMARKED FOR THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT TO PROVIDE NEW STAFF FOR IMPROVING LABOUR SERVICES AND ENHANCING INDUSTRIAL SAFETY.
SAID.
"WE SHALL PROVIDE AN ADDITIONAL 11 FACTORY INSPECTOR POSTS,
tu
HE
"TOGETHER WITH REDEPLOYMENT, THE ENFORCEMENT CAPABILITY OF THE FACTORY INSPECTORATE WILL BE ENHANCED CONSIDERABLY.
"WE SHALL ALSO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES, I.E. $1.2 MILLION, TO INCREASE PUBLICITY ON INDUSTRIAL SAFETY.
ANOTHER $3.4 MILLION HAS BEEN BUDGETED FOR STAFFING A MINOR EMPLOYMENT CLAIMS ADJUDICATION BOARD WHICH WILL TAKE OVER MINOR WAGE DISPUTE CASES FROM THE OVERLOADED LABOUR TRIBUNALS.
MR LAM EMPHASISED THAT THE MODEST BUDGET FOR THE EMPLOYMENT PROGRAMME DID NOT REFLECT IN FULL THE VIGOROUS EFFORTS BY THE EDUCATION AND MANPOWER BRANCH AND THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT IN LABOUR WELFARE AND IMPROVING INDUSTRIAL SAFETY.
ENHANCING
/IN THIS