XN000022-1981-10-30 — Page 3

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 30, 1981

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GOVERNOR OPENS SEA SCHOOL'S NEW BLOCK

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THE PROSPECTS OF HONG KONG'S YOUNG MEN GETTING GOOD JOBS AT SEA WILL DEPEND INCREASINGLY ON HONG KONG'S REPUTATION FOR TRAINING THEM, SAID THE GOVERNOR, SIR MURRAY MACLEHOSE, AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE NEW SCHOOL BLOCK AT THE HONG KONG SEA SCHOOL AT 3 PM TODAY (FRIDAY).

+SO WE MUST DO ALL THAT IS PRACTICAL TO IMPROVE THE STANDARD OF ACADEMIC AND VOCATIONAL TRAINING. THE FACILITIES IN THIS NEW

BLOCK REPRESENT A LARGE STEP FORWARD, THE GOVERNOR SAID.

THE FOLLOWING IS THE TEXT OF THE GOVERNOR'S SPEECH.

+1 WAS LAST HERE THREE YEARS AGO TO OPEN THE BRADBURY PIER. I AM DELIGHTED TO RETURN TODAY TO OPEN THIS NEW CLASSROOM BLOCK, AND SEE ANOTHER MAJOR IMPROVEMENT.

SINCE 1955, OVER 2 500

+THE SCHOOL'S RECORD IS EXCELLENT. BOYS FROM THE SCHOOL HAVE REGISTERED AS SEAMEN AND OVER 60 OF THEM HAVE GONE ON TO BECOME CAPTAINS-IN-COMMAND. IMPRESSIVE FACTS. ONE CAN SEE A TRADITION EMERGING OF WHICH ALL

THESE ARE GRADUATES CAN BE PROUD. THEY ARE ALSO FACTS OF WHICH PROSPECTIVE EMPLOYERS WILL TAKE ACCOUNT IN CHOOSING CREWS. OUR YOUNG MEN TO GET GOOD JOBS AT SEA, WILL DEPEND INCREASINGLY ON

THE PROSPECTS OF HONG KONG'S REPUTATION FOR TRAINING THEM.

+SO WE MUST DO ALL THAT IS PRACTICAL TO IMPROVE THE STANDARD OF ACADEMIC AND VOCATIONAL TRAINING. THE FACILITIES IN THIS NEW BLOCK REPRESENT A LARGE STEP FORWARD. THEY INCLUDE AN ENGLISH LANGUAGE LABORATORY, LIGHT ENGINEERING WORKSHOP, STEWARDS WORKSHOP AND BOAT HOUSE. THESE ARE VALUABLE ADDITIONS TO THE SCHOOL'S RESOURCES.

+THANKS ARE DUE TO THE BRADBURY CHARITABLE TRUST AND THE ROYAL HONG KONG JOCKEY CLUB FOR THEIR VERY GENEROUS DONATION OF TWO MILLION DOLLARS EACH. THEY PROVIDE AN ELOQUENT VOTE OF CONFIDENCE IN BOTH THE SCHOOL AND THE FUTURE OF THE INDUSTRY.

+ IN OPENING THE NEW BLOCK I CONGRATULATE THE BOARD OF MANAGEMENT AND THE STAFF OF THE HONG KONG SEA SCHOOL ON THEIR SOLID ACHIEVEMENTS AND WISH ALL THOSE WHO ENTER THE SCHOOL SUCCESS.+

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