XN000022-1978-01-25 — Page 17

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25, 1978

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SPECIAL NEEDS OF FISHERMEN'S CHILDREN

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THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION, THE HON. KENNETH TOPLEY SAID TODAY THAT HE WOULD NEED TO GATHER FRESH FACTS AND TO CONSULT OTHER GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS BEFORE PROCEEDING WITH ARRANGEMENTS TO MEET THE SPECIAL NEEDS OF FISHERMEN'S CHILDREN.

REPLYING TO THE HON. KWAN KO STU-WAH IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL MR. TOPLEY SAID THAT THERE WERE +CONCEPTUAL AND NUMERICAL+ PROBLEMS TO BE TACKLED BEFORE PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS COULD BE ARRIVED AT.

+SOME 60,000 PEOPLE STILL LIVE AFLOAT, MORE THAN HALF ARE FISHERFOLK, + HE SAID.

+ IT IS NOT NECESSARILY FISHING OR LIVING AFLOAT WHICH CREATES PROBLEMS OF SCHOOL ATTENDANCE, BUT RATHER REMOTENESS AND THE ITINERANT HOME, HE ADDED.

+REMOTENESS CAN BE MET BY BRINGING THE SCHOOLS TO THE CHILDREN AND THIS HAS BEEN DONE WITH PRIMARY SHCOOLS. IT IS NOT SUCH A PRACTICAL SOLUTION WITH SECONDARY SCHOOLS WHICH SHOULD BE OF A MINIMUM SIZE TO OFFER SOME CHOICE OF SUBJECTS.

+ THE ITINERANT HOME CAN BE MANAGED BY PROVIDING A HOME ASHORE. BUT HERE A RECENT SURVEY HAS SHOWN A PREFERENCE BY FISHERMEN FOR PURPOSE-BUILT FISHERMEN'S VILLAGES RATHER THAN PUBLIC HOUSING.

+THESE SOLUTIONS WILL NOT BE EASY TO APPLY. ON THE OTHER HAND, THESE PROBLEMS HAVE TO A SUBSTANTIAL EXTENT BEEN SOLVING THEMSELVES

IND IRECTLY THROUGH THE GENERAL ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT OF HONG KONG. OUR TRANSPORT NETWORK HAS BECOME WIDER AND MORE COMPLETE AND FISHERMEN HAVE INCREASINGLY COME ASHORE TO LIVE, MANY IN PUBLIC HOUSING, AND SOMETIMES TURNING TO OTHER TRADES.

+WE MUST NOW CONSIDER TO WHAT DEGREE THESE PROBLEMS WILL FIND THE IR OWN SOLUTIONS AND HOW FAR WE SHOULD GO IN MEETING THEM HEAD ON. HERE WE MUST CONSIDER HOW FAR SOLUTIONS COMPELLING IN PRINCIPLE WILL PROVE PRACTICAL IN APPLICATION AND HOW FAR DIVERSION OF EFFORT FROM OUR MAIN PROGRAMME IS JUSTIFIED,+ MR. TOPLEY SAID.

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