XN000022-1978-04-04 — Page 2

TUESDAY, APRIL 4, 1978

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GOVERNOR OPENS NEW BRITISH COUNCIL CENTRE

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THE GOVERNOR, SIR MURRAY MACLEHOSE, SAID TODAY THAT THE NEED FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING HAS PUT +GREAT PRESSURE+ ON THE EDUCATION SYSTEM IN HONG KONG AS ELSEWHERE.

SPEAKING AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE NEW BRITISH COUNCIL CENTRE, SIR MURRAY POINTED OUT THAT WITH THE RAPID ECONOMIC AND INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT OF HONG KONG, KNOWLEDGE OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE HAS BECOME EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.

+THIRTY YEARS AGO ENGLISH WAS IMPORTANT TO VERY FEW OUTSIDE GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATION AND A FEW PROFESSIONS. NOW WITH A POPULATION THAT HAS INCREASED NEARLY EIGHTFOLD IN THIS TIME, VIRTUALLY EVERY CHILD IN HONG KONG IS BEING TAUGHT ENGLISH, + HE SAID.

FOLLOWING IS THE FULL TEXT OF THE GOVERNOR'S SPEECH AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE NEW BRITISH COUNCIL CENTRE TODAY (TUESDAY) :-

+DR. TAHOURDIN HAS JUST POINTED OUT THAT THE BRITISH COUNCIL HAS BEEN IN HONG KONG SINCE 1948. THIS WAS ONLY EIGHT YEARS AFTER THE BRITISH COUNCIL RECEIVED ITS CHARTER IN 1940. FEW OF THE 78 COUNTRIES WHERE THE BRITISH COUNCIL NOW OPERATES CAN HAVE HAD SUCH A LONG CONNECTION. IT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE TO COUNT ALL THOSE WHO HAVE BENEFITTED FROM THIS BRITISH COUNCIL PRESENCE THOSE WHO

HAVE USED THE BRITISH COUNCIL LIBRARY- THOSE HAVE FURTHERED THE IR STUDIES IN BRITAIN WITH BRITISH COUNCIL SCHOLARSHIPS- THOSE WHO HAVE BENEFITTED BY ADVICE FROM SPECIALISTS WHO THE BRITISH COUNCIL HAVE BROUGHT TO HONG KONG.

+THE BRITISH COUNCIL HAS MANY ROLES. ONE OF THESE IS GREAT EXPERTISE IN THE TEACHING OF ENGLISH.

+WITH THE RAPID ECONOMIC AND INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT OF HONG KONG, KNOWLEDGE OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE HAS BECOME EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.

+THIRTY YEARS AGO ENGLISH WAS IMPORTANT TO VERY FEW OUTSIDE GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATION AND A FEW PROFESSIONS. NOW WITH A POPULATION THAT HAS INCREASED NEARLY EIGHTFOLD IN THIS TIME, VIRTUALLY EVERY CHILD IN HONG KONG IS BEING TAUGHT ENGLISH.

+THIS PHENOMENON IS BEING REPEATED ALL OVER THE WORLD. THIS NEED FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING HAS PUT GREAT PRESSURE ON THE EDUCATION SYSTEM HERE AS ELSEWHERE.

+FOR THIS REASON I SEE THE IMPORTANCE OF WELL-RUN ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING INSTITUTES WHICH GIVE SCHOOL LEAVERS A SECOND CHANCE TO MASTER THE LANGUAGE, ALREADY NEARLY 5.000 YOUNG PEOPLE ARE COMING HERE AFTER WORK TO IMPROVE THEIR ABILITY IN THE USE OF ENGLISH.

+ THE FUTURE OF AN INSTITUTE SUCH AS THIS DEPENDS ON THE QUALITY OF THE TEACHING. OVER 50 EXPATRIATES ARE EMPLOYED TEACHING THESE GENERAL ENGLISH COURSES.

/+OTHER COURSES