XN000022-1976-01-07 — Page 4

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Wednesday, January 7, 1976

Hong Kong's greatest asset was its people, and the quality of that

asset was in their educational, intellectual, technological and moral standard,

Mr. Cheong-Leen said.

He asked how this standard could be improved if every year more than

30,000 children were dill either primary school drop-outs or could not find

places in a secondary school.

Mrs. Symons asked that the 1976 target of the White Paper be reached

at the very least by one or other or all of the methods of expansion suggested.

"The time has come for action," she said, "and there will be little

good-will shown to Government in general and the Education Department in

particular if the implementation of the White Paper is not firmly begun this

September."

The methods suggested by the White Paper were: building of new

schools, the use of converted primary schools or other under-utilised govern-

ment buildings, extended day and flotation and judicious buying of places.

Mrs. Symons said the Education Department by now would have the

correct figures and costings of the target number of public sector places

in forms I to III in September 1976, provisionally given as 136,961 in the

White Paper.

"I conclude my appeal confident that given the necessary funds the

Education Department will see that the target is reached, if not surpassed

this coming September," she said.

Miss Ko Siu-wah was concerned about possible criminal influence on

the young school drop-outs.

According to the recent report on "Social Causes of Violent Crimes

Among Young Offenders in Hong Kong", offenders were more often found among

youngsters who did not attend school, she said.

"Being poorly