XN000022-1982-02-10 — Page 7

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1C, 1982

ALTHOUGH THIS APPEARS TO BE REASONABLE, HE SAID, THERE IS STILL ROOM FOR DISCUSSION.

+TAKING FOR INSTANCE, FOR THOSE PEOPLE WHO WISH TO BE DRIVERS OF CONTAINER-TRACTORS OR PUBLIC OMNIBUSES, OR TO TAKE UP JOBS OF A SIMILAR NATURE, THEY FIND IT DIFFICULT TO OBTAIN FORMAL TRAINING IN THESE FIELDS.

+BUT THESE KINDS OF TRADES CERTAINLY PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF HONG KONG'S COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, HE SAID.

DR THE HON RAYSON HUANG REFERRED TO A CLAUSE IN THE BILL RELATING TO THE TRAINING OF OPERATIVES, CRAFTSMEN, TECHNICIANS AND TECHNOLOGISTS BY THE VOCATIONAL TRAINING COUNCIL.

HE POINTED OUT THAT THE TERM +TECHNOLOGIST+ IS GENERALLY REFERRED TO AS PROFESSIONALLY QUALIFIED PEOPLE.

+THEIR EDUCATION AND TRAINING ARE, OF COURSE, THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE UNIVERSITIES AND THE POLYTECHNIC, AND THESE INSTITUTIONS ARE UNDER THE AEGIS OF THE UNIVERSITIES AND POLYTECHNIC GRANTS COMMITTEE,+ SAID DR HUANG.

TO AVOID CONFUSION AND DUPLICATION OF EFFORT, THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE PROPOSED COUNCIL IN THIS AREA SHOULD BE CLEARLY SPECIFIED.

DR THE HON HO KAM-FAI WARNED THAT THE SETTING UP OF THE COUNCIL MUST NOT RESULT IN PRODUCING MERELY +HUMAN ROBOTS+ IN MEETING THE SHORT-TERM INDUSTRIAL MANPOWER NEEDS.

+THE COUNCIL MUST DO ALL IT CAN TO PRODUCE EDUCATED, SKILLED AND VERSATILE WORKERS CAPABLE OF FLEXIBLY ADJUSTING THEMSELVES TO THE CHALLENGES OF RAPIDLY CHANGING TECHNOLOGY.

+ THEREFORE ECHO THE SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION'S SENTIMENTS THAT A FAIR PROPORTION OF REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE EDUCATIONAL, IN ADDITION TO THE INDUSTRIAL, FIELD SHOULD BE APPOINTED TO THE VOCATIONAL TRAINING COUNCIL,+ HE SAID.

DR HO SUGGESTED THAT PLANNERS OF VOCATIONAL TRAINING ESPECIALLY AT THE TECHNICIAN AND TECHNOLOGIST LEVELS, SHOULD FINELY BALANCE THE TRAINING CONTENTS BY INCORPORATING BROAD PRINCIPLES AND CONCEPTS, TO INFUSE IN THE STUDENTS AND TRAINEES AN ESSENTIAL ABILITY TO THINK, JUDGE AND MAKE APPROPRIATE DECISIONS.

WITH THESE QUALITIES, HE SAID, OUR WORKFORCE WOULD BE BETTER ABLE TO ADAPT AND RESPOND QUICKLY TO NEW DEVELOPMENTS AND REQUIREMENTS OF INDUSTRY.

HE WAS ALSO CONCERNED OVER THE INADEQUACIES OF FACILITIES FOR VOCATIONAL TRAINING FOR THE DISABLED.

+ONLY THE LEE WAI LEE TECHNICAL INSTITUTE, OUT OF THE EXISTING FIVE INSTITUTES, HAS BEEN DESIGNED WITH THE NEEDS OF HANDICAPPED STUDENTS IN MIND, AND ONLY A SMALL NUMBER OF PLACES ARE AVAILABLE FOR SUCH STUDENTS, HE SAID.

/+I URGE