XN000022-1976-10-16 — Page 2

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1976

$12 MILLION TECHNICAL INSTITUTE AT KOWLOON TONG

*****

A $12 MILLION TECHNICAL INSTITUTE IS TO BE BUILT ON A 160,000 SQUARE FOOT SITE AT RENFREW ROAD, KOWLOON TONG.

THE NEW INSTITUTE, WHICH WILL BE THE FIFTH TO BE RUN BY THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT, IS EXPECTED TO HAVE FIVE DEPARTMENTS – COMMERCIAL STUDIES, DESIGN, ENGINEERING, INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY AND GENERAL STUDIES. WHEN FULLY OPERATIONAL, THE INSTITUTE WILL HAVE SOME 1,500 FULL TIME DAY STUDENTS.

SITE FORMATION WORK IS TO BEGIN EARLY NEXT YEAR AND THE INSTITUTE SHOULD BE READY FOR USE IN SEPTEMBER 1979.

THE KOWLOON TONG SITE WAS CHOSEN TO REPLACE THE ONE AT SAN PO KONG BECAUSE OF SITE DIFFICULTIES, THE NEW SITE COULD EASILY BE REACHED FROM WONG TAI SIN AND SHA TIN THROUGH THE LION ROCK TUNNEL.

AMONG THE SUBJECTS BEING CONSIDERED FOR INTRODUCTION AT THE INSTITUTE ARE AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING, RETAIL MERCHANDISING AND MARKETING DESIGN, INCLUDING JEWELLERY AND APPLIED ARTS, FURNITURE DESIGN, INTERIOR DESIGN AND WINDOW DISPLAY, OPTICAL

INSTRUMENTS, WATCH REPAIRS, TEXTILES AND FASHION.

+ THE ESTABLISHMENT OF TECHNICAL INSTITUTES IS PART OF A BROAD GOVERNMENT PROGRAMME DESIGNED TO ENSURE THAT SUFFICIENT TECHNICAL PERSONNEL ARE AVAILABLE TO MEET THE EXISTING AND FUTURE DEMANDS OF INDUSTRY, + A SPOKESMAN FOR THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT SAID.

THE PROGRAMME INCLUDES THE EXPANSION OF THE UNIVERSITIES, THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE POLYTECHNIC AND CHANGES IN THE PATTERN OF SECONDARY SCHOOL EDUCATION.

+ THE MAJOR FUNCTION OF THE INSTITUTES IS TO PROVIDE RELATED TECHNICAL EDUCATION WHICH IS REQUIRED TO COMPLEMENT THE TRAINING PROVIDED BY INDUSTRY,+ HE SAID.

ACADEMIC PLANNING IS BEING CARRIED OUT WITH ADVICE FROM INDUSTRY, COMMERCE, OTHER GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS AND THE HONG KONG TRAINING COUNCIL TO ENSURE THAT THE TYPE AND CONTENT OF THE COURSES AT THE TECHNICAL INSTITUTES ARE RELEVANT TO THE NEEDS OF INDUSTRY IN HONG KONG.

/2