XN000022-1980-10-01 — Page 22

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER *980

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+THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE 49 HECTARES ADDITIONALLY BE ING PRODUCED FOR THE INDUSTRIAL ESTATES CORPORATION IN THIS PERIOD.

+ IN ADDITION THE TARGET OF LAND PRODUCTION OF PUBLIC HOUSING BETWEEN NOW AND MARCH 1983 IS 190 HECTARES GROSS, HE SAID.

WHITE PAPER ON PRIMARY EDUCATION TO BE PUBLISHED IN CURRENT LEGCO SESSION

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A WHITE PAPER ON PRIMARY EDUCATION AND PRE-PRIMARY SERVICES WILL BE PUBLISHED IN THIS SESSION OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

IT WILL COMPLETE THE SERIES OF REVIEWS OF THE EDUCATION SYSTEM BEGUN IN 1974 WITH THE WHITE PAPER ON SECONDARY EDUCATION CONTINUING IN 1978 WITH ONE ON SENIOR SECONDARY AND TERTIARY EDUCATION.

THE GOVERNOR, SPEAKING ON EDUCATION IN HIS OPENING ADDRESS TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY), NOTED THAT THE CHANGE ACHIEVED BOTH ON THE GROUND UP TO JUNIOR SECONDARY FORM III, AND IN PLANNED EXPANSION OF SENIOR EDUCATION UP TO THE MID-80'S WAS SPECTACULAR AND WAS RADICALLY CHANGING THE LEVEL OF EDUCATION IN HONG KONG.

HE RECOGNISED HOWEVER THAT THERE WAS STILL MUCH MORE ROOM FOR MODIFICATION, ADJUSTMENT AND IMPROVEMENT IN QUALITY. +NEVERTHELESS WE NOW HAVE A WELL-DEFINED BACKGROUND AGAINST WHICH ANY FURTHER CHANGE CAN BE CONSIDERED.

+THIS SHOULD MAKE IT TIMELY TO CONDUCT IN 1981 THE PROMISED OVERALL REVIEW OF THE ENTIRE SYSTEM TO EXAMINE THE COHERENCE AND EFFECTIVENESS OF THE EDUCATION SERVICE AND THE BALANCE AND PRIORITIES BETWEEN DIFFERENT DISCIPLINES,+ HE SAID.

SIR MURRAY SAID THAT WITH THE AIM OF NINE YEARS FREE UNIVERSAL AND COMPULSORY EDUCATION NOW REALISED, PRESENT EFFORTS WERE MAINLY DIRECTED TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE 1978 WHITE PAPER ON SENIOR SECONDARY AND TERTIARY EDUCATION.

HE POINTED OUT THAT AS A RESULT OF IMMIGRATION WE WOULD BE MARGINALLY SHORT OF THE 1981 FORM IV TARGET OF SUBSIDISED PLACES FOR 60 PER CENT OF THE 15 YEAR-OLD-AGE GROUP.

+ BY OUR BEST EFFORT, WE WILL ONLY BE PROVIDING FOR 58 PER CENT, BUT AT 58 700 PLACES, THIS IS AN INCREASE OF 24 700 PLACES OVER 1980, + HE SAID.

YET, BECAUSE OF THE DECLINE OF THE 15-YEAR-OLD POPULATION AND OUR LARGE SCHOOL BUILDING PROGRAMME. THE TARGET OF 60 PER CENT SHOULD BE EXCEEDED BY 1982 AND SHOULD REACH 68 PER CENT BY 1984.

/TO MEET