XN000022-1972-10-12 — Page 5

-

5

תי

Thursday, October 12, 1972

Commenting on the changes, the Committee Chairman, Mr. S.F. Bailey,

said: "The new system means that the major reason for a student finance

scheme can continue to be met.'

++

"No student offered a place at one of the universities will

have to turn it down for lack of money. I believe Government's foresight

and commonsense in backing this should be recognised," he said.

Mr. Bailey pointed out that a majority of university students

were now the children of comparatively poor people and had reached the

university of their choice through hard work and ability.

Representatives of both the University of Hong Kong and the Chinese

University expressed satisfaction with the proposals.

They believed it could fairly be said that the Government was

meeting the highest standards which it could properly be asked in Hong

Kong in respect of financial aid for university students.

A Government spokesman said he agreed that the amount of money

required for the scheme would vary from year to year, depending upon the

resources available to students.

He said the important point was that the very considerable sums

spent on financing universities should not be wasted because of financial

difficulties experienced by students.

"This could at one time have happened all too easily, either

because an outstanding student was unable to afford to go to a university

at all or because having got to a university, he or she had to spend so

much time and effort in earning money to do it that their studies

suffered accordingly.

"The present ......