XN000022-1981-10-07 — Page 25

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1981

ARRIVALS IN OTHER FIRST ASYLUM COUNTRIES SHOWED A SIMILAR, IF LESS MARKED, TREND.

+SO THE FACT IS THAT LARGE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE STILL REMA IN PREPARED TO FACE UNBELIEVABLE RISKS AT SEA TO ESCAPE THE CONDITIONS IN THEIR HOMELAND, HE POINTED OUT.

FACED WITH THIS HUMAN TRAGEDY, HONG KONG HAD RIGHTLY CONTINUED TO PROVIDE FIRST ASYLUM TO THOSE WHO REACHED OUR SHORES.

SINCE 1979, SIR MURRAY SAID, OVER 74 000 REFUGEES HAD BEEN RESETTLED FROM HONG KONG, AND HE WAS PARTICULARLY GRATEFUL FOR THE EFFORTS MADE IN RESETTLEMENT BY THE UNITED STATES, CANADA AND THE UNITED KINGDOM AND FOR THE WORK OF THE UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSION FOR REFUGEES AND OF THE VOLUNTARY AGENCIES.

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PERSISTENT AND IMAGINATIVE INNOVATION IN EDUCATION

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EDUCATION MUST BE A FIELD FOR PERSISTENT AND IMAGINATIVE INNOVATION, THE GOVERNOR, SIR MURRAY MACLEHOSE TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL IN HIS OPENING ADDRESS TODAY.

SIR MURRAY SAID THAT IN A COMMUNITY EVOLVING ECONOMICALLY AND SOCIALLY AS FAST AS HONG KONG, OBVIOUSLY THE EVOLUTION OF EDUCATION MUST BE EXCEPTIONALLY FAST TOO IN TERMS OF QUANTITY, QUALITY AND HONG KONG'S NEEDS.

+ IT IS THEREFORE NOT SURPRISING THAT THE SUBJECT SHOULD HAVE SPAWNED THREE WHITE PAPERS IN THE LAST 10 YEARS OR THAT IN THE SAME PERIOD, GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURE HAS INCREASED BY 550 PER CENT IN MONEY TERMS,+ HE SAID.

ON PRE-PRIMARY AND PRIMARY EDUCATION, SIR MURRAY SAID THE WHITE PAPER ON THE SUBJECT PUBLISHED IN JÚLY HAD PUT FORWARD THE FIRST COMPREHENSIVE SCHEME FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF KINDERGARTENS AND CHILD-CARE CENTRES.

IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS, IT ENVISAGED IN PARTICULAR THE REDUCTION OF CLASS SIZES FROM 45 TO 35 FOR SCHOOLS ADOPTING THE ACTIVITY APPROACH AND TO 40 FOR THOSE FOLLOWING CONVENTIONAL METHODS. THESE REFORMS WILL REQUIRE 1 500 ADDITIONAL TEACHING POSTS IF APPROVED BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

TURNING TO JUNIOR SECONDARY EDUCATION, SIR MURRAY DESCRIBED AS A +GIANT STEP FORWARD+ THE PROVISION OF FREE AND COMPULSORY SUBS ID ISED PLACES FOR ALL.

SIR MURRAY REVEALED THAT 12 MORE PRE-VOCATIONAL SCHOOLS WILL BE BUILT BY 83/84, AND MORE WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE FUTURE BUILDING PROGRAMME, TO CATER FOR THOSE WHOSE APTITUDE IS FOR PRACTICAL AND TECHNICAL RATHER THAN ACADEMIC SUBJECTS.

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