XN000022-1976-10-06 — Page 12

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 1976

TURNING TO TERTIARY EDUCATION, SIR MURRAY SAID THE EXPANSION OF THE POLYTECHNIC AND THE UNIVERSITIES WOULD CONTINUE.

+AT THE POLYTECHNIC IN 1975/76 THERE WERE ABOUT 7,500 FULL-TIME AND EQUIVALENT PART-TIME STUDENTS AND THIS SHOULD GROW TO JUST UNDER 10,000 BY '77/78 AND TO 11,400 BY '80/81.

+BY THEN THE POLYTECHNIC WILL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE FOR MORE THAN 30,000 DAY AND EVENING STUDENTS, HE SAID.

THE COMBINED STUDENT POPULATION OF THE HONG KONG UNIVERSITY AND THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY WAS ABOUT 6,000 IN 1973. +BY THE END OF 1978 IT WILL BE 8,800 AND BY '81 ABOUT 10,300,+ HE SAID.

THE GOVERNOR NOTED THAT PLANNING WAS BEGINNING IN EARNEST FOR THE OPENING OF A MEDICAL SCHOOL IN THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY. +NOT ONLY WILL HONG KONG NEED THIS EXTRA SUPPLY OF DOCTORS IN THE '80S, BUT THIS MAJOR PROJECT DEMONSTRATES THE GOVERNMENT'S CONFIDENCE IN THE FUTURE OF THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY AND THE GREAT PART IT HAS TO PLAY IN MEETING THE NEEDS FOR HIGHER EDUCATION IN HONG KONG, HE SAID.

+ I THINK THIS RATE OF BUILD-UP IN BOTH THE POLYTECHNIC AND THE UNIVERSITIES IS THE MOST THAT CAN BE ACHIEVED WITHOUT SACRIFICING QUALITY, AND WITHOUT CREATING IMBALANCE IN THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM AS A WHOLE, HE ADDED.

TURNING TO TECHNICAL INSTITUTES, SIR MURRAY SAID DEVELOPMENT WAS PROCEEDING WELL -

+WHEN THE FIFTH INSTITUTE, PLANNED FOR KOWLOON TONG, IS OPENED IN '79 THERE WILL BE PLACES FOR SOME 6,650 FULL-TIME OR EQUIVALENT PART-TIME STUDENTS AND FOR ABOUT 20,000 EVENING STUDENTS IN ADDITION, + HE SAID.

THE GOVERNOR POINTED OUT, HOWEVER, THAT WE MUST WATCH HOW DEMAND FOR THIS TYPE OF TRAINING DEVELOPED AS INDUSTRY BECAME MORE SOPHISTICATED AND THE FULL EFFECT OF THE APPRENTICESHIP ORDINANCE WAS FELT, AND BE READY TO EXPAND IT IF NECESSARY.

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