XN000022-1978-07-05 — Page 10

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WEDNESDAY, JULY 5, 1978

THE LENGTH OF CHINESE UNIVERSITY UNDERGRADUATE COURSES

MR. LEE SAID MUCH TIME WAS DEVOTED BY THE GROUP TO CONSIDERING THIS CONTROVERSIAL ISSUE. THEIR CONCLUSION WAS THAT IT WAS UNTIMELY TO REQUIRE THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY TO CUT BACK ITS FOUR-YEAR DEGREE COURSE TO THREE YEARS SO SOON AFTER ITS RECENT REORGANISATION, AND THAT THE MATTER SHOULD BE REVIEWED AGAIN IN A FEW YEARS TÍME.

OTHER ASPECTS OF THE GREEN PAPER

THE GROUP AGREED THAT ADULT EDUCATION HAS AN IMPORTANT PART TO PLAY IN THE OVERALL EDUCATION SYSTEM IN HONG KONG AND THAT GOVERNMENT SHOULD PLACE GREATER EMPHASIS ON ITS DEVELOPMENT.

THE GROUP ALSO REACHED CONCLUSIONS ON OTHER ASPECTS OF THE GREEN PAPER SUCH AS THE NEED TO STRENGTHEN VOCATIONAL GUIDANCE SERVICES FOR STUDENTS, THE NEED FOR GOVERNMENT TO ASSIST PHYSICALLY HANDICAPPED STUDENTS TO DEVELOP FULLY THEIR POTENTIAL AND THE NEED TO BRING MUSIC INTO THE CURRICULUM AS A GENERAL CULTURAL SUBJECT AND AS AN OPTIONAL EXAMINATION SUBJECT,

MR. Q.W. LEE POINTED OUT THAT HONG KONG'S PRIME ASSET IS ITS POPULATION AND AN IMPORTANT DUTY OF THE GOVERNMENT IS TO PLAN TO CULTIVATE THIS ASSET TO THE BEST ADVANTAGE OF THE COMMUNITY IN THE LIGHT OF THE DIRECTION OF OUR DEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH WHICH IS CLEARLY DEPENDENT ON INDUSTRY AND TRADE.

IT FOLLOWS THAT FOR OUR FUTURE, EDUCATION SHOULD BE PLANNED TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THIS DEVELOPMENT.

+THIS MEANS THAT SUCH PLANNING MUST GIVE GREATER WEIGHT TO MANPOWER TRAINING FOR WHICH I THINK WE SHOULD NOT BE APOLOGETIC SO LONG AS BY DOING SO WE DO NOT NEGLECT THE MORAL AND INTELLECTUAL GOALS OF EDUCATION, HE SAID.

HE POSED TWO QUESTIONS: HOW ARE WE TO FORECAST OUR MANPOWER WITH SUCH ACCURACY THAT WE CAN SAY THAT WE NEED SO MANY PEOPLE TO BE EDUCATED IN SUCH A WAY AND TO SUCH A LEVEL IN TEN YEARS' TIME, AND HOW EFFECTIVE THE GOVERNMENT WOULD BE IN ENCOURAGING THE SELECTIVE ACQUISITION OF KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS IN ONE AREA RATHER THAN ANOTHER BY LIMITING THE PROVISION CF, AND THEREFORE RESTRICTING ACCESS TO PLACES.

ATTEMPTS TO ANSWER THEM IN OTHER COUNTRIES HAVE NOT BEEN ENCOURAGING.

+LABOUR SHORTAGES IN PROSPERITY AND REDUNDANCIES IN RECESSION HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO DISILLUSIONMENT WITH BOTH EDUCATION AND MANPOWER FORECASTS AND TO SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DISCONTENT,+ HE SAID.

EVEN IF IN HONG KONG MANPOWER FORECASTS ARE MORE ACCURATE, +SO LONG AS EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS LEAD TO BETTER JOBS AND HIGHER WAGES. THE ENERGIES OF PARENTS AND THEIR CHILDREN WILL BE DIRECTED TOWARDS OBTAINING THE RELEVANT CERTIFICATE, DIPLOMA OR DEGREE.+

/FOR THIS

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