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7.
Language Proficiency
Language proficiency is probably the area of our education provision which requires the most urgent attention. If Hong Kong is to continue to succeed as an international financial and services centre, good standards must be attained both in English, the international language of trade, and in Chinese, the mother tongue of the bulk of the population. The Education Commission has set out detailed proposals on how to enhance language proficiency in its sixth report. Following the current public consultation, the agreed recommendations should be implemented expeditiously. Funds have already been earmarked for the implementation in 1996-97 of the more important recommendations including the early establishment of the Standing Committee on Language Education and Research (SCOLAR), the employment of an additional 100 native English- speaking school teachers, the extension of the Intensive English Language Programme to some 11 000 Secondary Six and Secondary Seven students as well as the enhancement of Putonghua teaching and learning in our schools. This will include the development of a new Putonghua curriculum for Primary One to Secondary Five for use in 1998. Funds are also being sought from the Language Fund to enable the extension of the reading and writing schemes to cover Primary One to Secondary Five in our schools, the launching of research projects by SCOLAR as well as the establishment of a new Language Resource Centre for our teachers.
A New Technology Training Scheme for Services
The New Technology Training Scheme (NTTS), currently administered by the Vocational Training Council, provides assistance for employers to train their staff, either locally or overseas, in new technologies which are important to the industrial and economic development of Hong Kong. At present, the Scheme does not systematically cover training for employees in service industries. The scope of NTTS will be reviewed to see how best it could be adapted to enable employees in the services sector to be trained in the latest technologies and management techniques.
Getting out the Message
The initiatives described above will be supported internationally by a comprehensive programme to promote Hong Kong's strengths as a global and regional services centre. The Government Information Services, supported by the network of overseas Economic and Trade Offices and business community. will lead efforts to promote Hong Kong as a business centre committed to providing first-class services. In the next 12 months, there will be five promotion campaigns in six countries.