XN000022-1982-02-10 — Page 5

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1982

HE NOTED THAT THE VOCATIONAL TRAINING COUNCIL, WHEN

ESTABLISHED, WOULD NOT ONLY CARRY OUT THE CURRENT ADVISORY FUNCTIONS OF THE HONG KONG TRAINING COUNCIL, BUT ALSO THE EXECUTIVE ROLE WHICH WOULD INVOLVE THE FUTURE MANAGEMENT OF THESE AND POSSIBLY OTHER TRAINING SCHEMES.

*THIS IS A TASK AT THE SAME TIME DAUNTING AND CHALLENGING, FOR THE NEW VOCATIONAL TRAINING COUNCIL MUST ENSURE, THROUGH A STEADY SUPPLY OF TRAINED MANPOWER, THAT HONG KONG'S COMMERCE, INDUSTRY AND SPECIALISED SERVICES ARE PROPERLY CATERED FOR..

DR TIEN SUGGESTED THAT A BROADLY-BASED ELEMENT OF PERSONS WITH SUBSTANTIAL GENERAL BUSINESS AND ADMINISTRATIVE EXPERIENCE SHOULD BE APPOINTED TO THE COUNCIL.

THE EXPERIENCE OF THE TWO EXISTING TRAINING AUTHORITIES COULD BE PUT INTO GOOD USE. HE BELIEVED THE NEW TRAINING CENTRES SHOULD BE RESPONSIVE TO THE NEEDS OF THE INDUSTRIES FOR WHICH THEY WOULD BE ESTABLISHED, AND TO THAT END, THE RESPECTIVE TRAINING BOARDS MUST BE GIVEN THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR DIRECTING THE OPERATION OF THE TRAINING CENTRES.

DR TIEN ALSO PRAISED THE CONTRIBUTION MADE BY THE HONG KONG TRAINING COUNCIL WHICH WILL +RETIRE INTO HISTORY+ WITH THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE VOCATIONAL TRAINING COUNCIL.

QUOTING SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL, HE REMINDED MEMBERS: +THIS IS NOT THE END. IT IS NOT EVEN THE BEGINNING OF THE END. PERHAPS THE END OF THE BEGINNING.+

BUT IT IS

THE HON ALEX WỤ COMMENDED THE GOVERNMENT FOR MOVING SWIFTLY TO IMPLEMENT IN SUCH AN +IMAGINATIVE AND CONSTRUCTIVE MANNER+ THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE COMMITTEE TO REVIEW POST-SECONDARY AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION.

HE HOPED THAT THE NEW COUNCIL AND DEPARTMENT +WILL BE AS BUSINESSLIKE IN ACTION+.

TO SOME EXTEND, HE SAID, THEIR SUCCESS WILL DEPEND ON THE EXECUTIVE STRUCTURE THROUGH WHICH THE COUNCIL WILL OPERATE, AND HE HOPED THAT THE SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION WOULD CLARIFY THE EXACT RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE COUNCIL AND THE DEPARTMENT.

+1 WOULD LIKE TO HAVE HIS ASSURANCES THAT THE BENEFITS OF MERGING ELEMENTS OF THE LABOUR AND EDUCATION DEPARTMENTS WILL BE DIRECTLY EVIDENT IN TERMS OF WORK ON THE GROUND RATHER THAN IN ADMINISTRATIVE ORGANISATION.

+WE DO NOT NEED ANOTHER GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT UNLESS IT CAN DO WHAT HAS NOT BEEN DONE WELL ENOUGH BEFORE, DO IT MORE EFFICIENTLY THAN WAS POSSIBLE UNDER THE EXISTING ARRANGEMENTS AND EXERCISE FREEDOM OF ACTION WHEN NEW OPPORTUNITIES PRESENT THEMSELVES, HE STRESSED.

THE REV THE HON JOYCE BENNETT SAID SHE SUPPORTED THE BILL +BECAUSE IT RATIONAL ISES OUR TECHNICAL EDUCATION AND INDUSTRIAL TRAINING AT THE OPERATIVE, CRAFTSMAN, TECHNICIAN AND TECHNOLOGIST LEVELS+.

/SHE URGED