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37.

Governor: I think, to be fair, we have been speeding up the number of social workers in our school and particularly helping at Band 5 schools which do need a bit more assistance, as you have suggested. I would like to thank you and others like you who are working in our schools, particularly those which have some of the bigger problems. I think there is a general view in the community that we have to concentrate more on the quality of education. We have necessarily put the emphasis on quantity both in primary, secondary and tertiary education over the last decade or so. I think now people want us to put more money into better training for teachers, into more graduate teachers, into better schools with air-conditioning and so on, better equipment in schools. And of course, more support for those who can help to motivate children, who can help to ensure that children don't drift off into criminality or drugs. And that's why you do such an important job working with teachers. Teaching is, I think, one of the most honourable and important professions and I think we should recognise that in Hong Kong.

Question (in Chinese): Can I have a follow-up question please, I have heard news that the office accommodation for social workers in schools or in the office, there is not permanently establishment of allocation from the Education Department, in other words they are not designated offices for these school social workers, so schools have to find their own resources to accommodate these social workers. I wonder if the Education Department or you Mr Governor could do something by boosting support here.

Governor: I haven't had that point raised with me before, it's one of the few points I haven't had raised with me, but I will certainly look into it for you and if we can have your name and address later on I will get in touch with you about it.

Question (in Chinese): Good morning Mr Governor, I am in my thirties and I'm someone born and brought up in Hong Kong, but I have received British education. Now we are close to 1997 and we are going to be headed back to the communists. I think Britain is taking us up a cliff and then it will for the communists to push us down the cliff. If you look at Man Kam To border crossing there are full cars and full lorries of illegal immigrants and pregnant women in their eighth or ninth month of pregnancy they risk to come to Hong Kong. We see corruption in China and that is really scary and you can see from the latest LegCo Election. Now if everyone is like Mr Zhang Jusheng who is so well presentable, like Mr Zhang, then there will be saving grace for the communist party otherwise how can you hand us back to the communists. At the beginning you said that you would allow us to live in the UK. I think that this is really a good suggestion, because then we may be able to breathe some life in the UK

economy.

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