XN000022-1980-11-18 — Page 3

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 1980

THE IR TERMS OF REFERENCE ARE

HAVING REGARD TO:

(1)

THE ADVICE OF THE UNIVERSITY AND POLYTECHNIC GRANTS COMMITTEE THAT THE MAINTENANCE OF A GROWTH RATE OF THREE PERCENT PER ANNUM FOR THE UNIVERSITIES AND A CEILING OF 12 000 FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT STUDENTS AT THE POLYTECHNIC INTO THE 1980'S WOULD HAVE UNCOMFORTABLE IMPLICATIONS FOR HONG KONG'S ECONOMIC PROSPERITY AND SOCIAL WELL-BEING, AND THAT THERE SHOULD BE A SURVEY OF ALL TERTIARY AND HIGHER LEVEL EDUCATION, TAKING FULLY INTO ACCOUNT THE TYPE AND RANGE OF COURSES OFFERED BY THE POLYTECHNIC AND THE TECHNICAL INSTITUTES-

(2) THE CONCERN OF THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON

DIVERSIFICATION THAT:

(A)

(B)

THE CURRENT HIGHER EDUCATION TARGETS MAY NOT PRODUCE SUFFICIENT SKILLED AND/OR PROFESSIONALLY TRAINED PERSONNEL (PARTICULARLY IN THE TECHNOLOGICAL FIELD) TO MEET THE DEMANDS OF POTENTIAL STUDENTS AND THE NEEDS OF THE ECONOMY- AND

THE TECHNICAL INSTITUTES SHOULD ACHIEVE GREATER FLEXIBILITY OF RESPONSE TO THE NEEDS OF INDUSTRY- AND

(C) PART-TIME ADULT EDUCATION SHOULD BE A MEANS FOR UP-GRADING HONG KONG'S MANPOWER-

(3) THE INCREASE IN FEES AND OTHER RESTRICTIONS WHICH CURTAIL THE NUMBERS OF HONG KONG STUDENTS OBTAINING PLACES IN TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS OVERSEAS AND MAY THUS RENDER INVALID THE PREVIOUS ASSUMPTIONS THAT THERE WERE LIKELY TO BE NO FEWER HONG KONG STUDENTS UNDERGOING DEGREE COURSES OVERSEAS THAN THE NUMBER OF UNDERGRADUATES IN HONG KONG AND

(4)

THE LIKELY INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF POST-SIXTH FORM CANDIDATES SUITABLE FOR FURTHER EDUCATION AS A RESULT OF THE EXPANSION OF SECONDARY EDUCATION-

(5) THE NECESSITY TO ESTABLISH THE RIGHT MIX OF

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES SO AS TO PRODUCE A BALANCE OF TRAINED MANPOWER SUITABLE FOR PROBABLE EMPLOYMENT DEMANDS AND

(6)

THE HIGH PROPORTION OF THE EDUCATIONAL VOTE ALREADY DEVOTED TO HIGHER EDUCATION,

/TO ADVISE