XN000022-1976-10-21 — Page 2

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1976

PROGRAMME PLANS ON PREVENTIVE SERVICES FOR YOUTH

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THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT IS DRAFTING PROGRAMME PLANS ON PREVENTIVE SERVICES FOR YOUTH TO SOLVE THE GENERAL PROBLEM OF INDIVIDUAL LONELINESS, BOREDOM, AND LACK OF UNDERSTANDING OF A WIDER COMMUNITY, THE DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE, MR. THOMAS LEE, SAID TODAY.

THIS PROBLEM, WHICH CAN HAVE SERIOUS SOCIAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS, PARTICULARLY AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE, WAS POINTED OUT BY THE GOVERNOR IN HIS OPENING ADDRESS TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL EARLIER THIS MONTH.

YEAR.

THE PLAN, MR. LEE SAID, WAS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED NEXT

MR. LEE WAS SPEAKING AT THE JOINT GRADUATION CEREMONY OF THE 12 SECONDARY AND PRIMARY SCHOOLS OF LOK SIN TONG HELD AT THE YU KAN HING SCHOOL THIS (THURSDAY) AFTERNOON.

+AT PRESENT, BESIDES APPOINTING COMMUNITY AND YOUTH OFFICERS IN VARIOUS DISTRICTS, THE DEPARTMENT HAS ALSO SET UP COMMUNITY CENTRES AND ESTATE COMMUNITY WORK OFFICES IN ALL DENSELY-POPULATED AREAS, HE SAID.

HE CITED THREE EXAMPLES OF VARIOUS SCHEMES THAT HIS DEPARTMENT WAS ORGANISING AND SPONSOR ING FOR YOUNG PEOPLE.

THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUTH SCHEME, HE SAID, WAS AIMED AT ENCOURAGING YOUTHS TO PARTICIPATE IN ACTIVITIES THAT WOULD PROMOTE THE IR PERSONAL AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT AND, AT THE SAME TIME, COULD PROVIDE SOCIAL BENEFITS TO THE COMMUNITY.

+SINCE 1974, A TOTAL OF 194 PROJECTS HAVE BEEN SUPPORTED AND AMONG THEM ARE THE HOT LINE SERVICE WHICH IS DESIGNED TO HELP STUDENTS WHO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THEIR SCHOOL WORK AND THE BEAUTIFICATION OF THE ENVIRONMENT SCHEME, HE ADDED.

THE PLAY LEADERSHIP SCHEME, HE WENT ON, WAS AIMED AT ORGANISING CONSTRUCTIVE ACTIVITIES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE FOUND LOITERING IN PLAYGROUNDS, WHILE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF DISTRICT YOUTH DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEES WAS AIMED AT IDENTIFYING THE NEEDS OF YOUNG PEOPLE IN A DISTRICT AND THEN PROMOTING PROJECTS THAT WOULD SATISFY THESE NEEDS.

EARLIER, MR. LEE COMMENDED THE LOK SIN TONG FOR ITS OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE COMMUNITY DURING ITS 97 YEARS OF HISTORY.

HE SAID THE 12 SCHOOLS RUN BY THE BENEVOLENT SOCIETY HAD PROVIDED STUDENTS WITH MEANINGFUL EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES, AND POINTED OUT THAT THEY SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED TO TAKE PART IN COMMUNITY SERVICES TO PROMOTE IN THEM A BALANCED PHYSICAL AND MENTAL DEVELOPMENT.

+THROUGH THESE ACTIVITIES, THE STUDENTS CAN LEARN DIRECTLY FROM PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE, UNDERSTAND THE RESOURCES, THE PROBLEMS, AND THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY, AND AS A RESULT, ACCELERATE THE REALISATION OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT, HE ADDED.

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