XN000022-1982-02-19 — Page 2

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 1982

MORE STRESS NOW ON QUALITY OF EDUCATION

****

THE GOVERNMENT RECOGNISES THE NEED TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION, THE GOVERNOR, SIR MURRAY MACLEHOSE SAID TODAY (FRIDAY).

PLANS ARE IN HAND TO REDUCE CLASS SIZES IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS AND TO INTRODUCE NEW SYLLABUSES INTO SECONDARY SCHOOLS TO PROVIDE A WIDER AND MORE INTERESTING CHOICE FOR STUDENTS WITH A BROADER SPAN OF ABILITY, HE SAID.

SIR MURRAY WAS SPEAKING AT THE OPENING OF THE NEW LA SALLE COLLEGE.

+I REALISE THAT THESE IMPROVEMENTS HAVE FOR LONG BEEN URGED BY THE VOLUNTARY SECTOR AND AM GLAD THEIR WISHES CAN NOW BE MET AND SO CONTRIBUTE TO THE IMPROVED QUALITY OF EDUCATION SO RIGHTLY SOUGHT, SIR MURRAY SAID.

THE MAIN OBJECTIVE OF THE LAST DECADE HAD BEEN TO ACHIEVE ADEQUATE QUANTITY AND THIS WAS LARGELY BEHIND US WITH FREE, COMPULSORY PRIMARY AND JUNIOR SECONDARY EDUCATION AND SUBSIDISED PLACES IN SENIOR SECONDARY FORMS.

+ IT IS THEREFORE TIME TO TACKLE QUALITY, SIR MURRAY SAID.

NOTE TO EDITORS.

THE FOLLOWING IS THE TEXT OF THE GOVERNOR'S SPEECH1

+BROTHER SUPERIOR GENERAL, BROTHER RAPHAEL, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,

+I AM DELIGHTED TO OPEN THIS SPLENDID, NEW SCHOOL BUILDING FOR LA SALLE COLLEGE IN ITS GOLDEN JUBILEE YEAR.

+FIFTY YEARS AGO BROTHER AIMAR OPENED LA SALLE COLLEGE ON THIS SITE. TO-DAY THE OLD COLLEGE BUILDING HAS BEEN REPLACED BY WHAT YOU NOW SEE AROUND YOU ONE OF THE BEST EQUIPPED AND MOST MODERN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN HONG KONG AND I CONGRATULATE THE BROTHERS OF THE CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS.

→THE CHRISTIAN BROTHERS HAVE BEEN TEACHING IN HONG KONG FOR OVER A CENTURY. IN THAT TIME,

IN THAT TIME, THEY HAVE EARNED A REPUTATION FOR EXCELLENCE AND FOR A STYLE OF EDUCATION WHICH UPHOLDS TRADITIONAL VALUES BUT IS FLEXIBLE TO THE NEEDS OF SOCIETY. THIS NEW BUILDING IS A FINE EXAMPLE OF HOW THE ORDER ADAPTS TO MODERN NEEDS. THE UP-TO-DATE EQUIPMENT AND RECREATIONAL FACILITIES SHOW THAT SIGHTS HAVE BEEN SET HIGH FOR THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION AT LA SALLE COLLEGE IN THE YEARS TO COME.

+YOUR GOVERNMENT RECOGNISES THE NEED TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION.

/+THE MAIN