XN000022-1981-03-25 — Page 12

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 1981

QUOTING STATÍSTICS FROM HER SURVEY, MISS BENNETT SAID THE 253 GRADUATE TEACHERS WHO RESPONDED TO THE SURVEY SPENT, ON AVERAGE, 24.51 HOURS PER WEEK OUTSIDE SCHOOL HOURS IN SCHOOL WORK DURING SCHOOL DAYS- THE 67 SENIOR GRADUATE TEACHERS SPENT AN AVERAGE OF 25.24 HOURS PER WEEK OUTSIDE SCHOOL HOURS IN SCHOOL DUTIES AND THE 13 SENIOR MASTER TEACHERS PUT IN, ON AVERAGE, 29.5 HOURS EXTRA PER WEEK.

IN ADDITION, THE SM'S ON AVERAGE DURING THE YEAR WORKED 27 DAYS DURING THE SCHOOL HOLIDAYS, WHILE THE SGM'S ONLY USED 14.36 DAYS OF THE IR HOLIDAYS.

SHE WAS THEREFORE NOT SURPRISED THAT TEACHERS OF SPECIAL CLASSES FOR SLOW LEARNERS REQUESTED A FULL-TIME SOCIAL WORKER TO WORK AMONG THE 120 SLOW LEARNERS IN THEIR SIX CLASSES.

+ I HOPE I HAVE MADE IT CLEAR THAT THE TEACHERS IN OUR SCHOOLS ARE NOT IDLE, BUT OVERWORKED.

+OUR SCHOOLS NEED MORE STAFF TO COPE WITH THE STUDENTS' PROBLEMS AND NEEDS.

+TODAY WE ARE EDUCATING A WIDE RANGE OF ABILITY.

+WE MAY HAVE MORE SCHOOL BUILDINGS, BUT IF WE DO NOT TAKE CARE OF WHAT GOES ON IN THOSE BUILDINGS, WE COULD BE BUILDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR EVIL TO GROW,

INSTEAD OF SPREADING WIDE THE LAMP

OF TRUE LEARNING, MISS BENNETT CAUTIONED.

USE RESERVES TO HELP INDUSTRY *****

THE HON S.L. CHEN, TODAY URGED THE GOVERNMENT TO USE SOME OF HONG KONG'S +FREE+ FISCAL RESERVES TO PRODUCE MORE LAND AND TO ASSIST RE-EQUIPPING INDUSTRY.

SPEAKING AT THE RESUMED BUDGET DEBATE, HE SAID THE CAPITAL REVENUE IN OUR BUDGETS, WHICH IS DERIVED ALMOST ENTIRELY FROM LAND TRANSACTIONS, HAS INCREASED DRAMATICALLY FROM $644 MILLION IN 1976-77 TO $10 626 MILLION IN 1980-81.

AS A RESULT, THE RATIO OF CAPITAL REVENUE TO TOTAL REVENUE INCREASED FROM 8.6 PER CENT TO 36.6 PER CENT.

+THIS MEANS, WHETHER WE LIKE IT OR NOT, PUBLIC SECTOR FINANCE DURING THIS PERIOD HAS BECOME INCREASINGLY DEPENDENT ON LAND RELATED CAPITAL CONTRIBUTION, + MR CHEN SAID.

+THIS BEING THE CASE, AND IF THIS IS THE INTENTION IN THE FUTURE. IT APPEARS OBVIOUS THAT THERE IS A NEED TO PRODUCE LAND MORE EFFICIENTLY AND ECONOMICALLY.+