XN000022-1982-02-24 — Page 12

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1982

NEW DEPARTMENT TO COMBINE TECHNICAL EDUCATION

AND INDUSTRIAL TRAINING *****

A NEW +TECHNICAL EDUCATION AND INDUSTRIAL TRAINING DEPARTMENT+ IS BEING SET UP TO SERVE AS THE EXECUTIVE ARM OF THE VOCATIONAL TRAINING COUNCIL TO BE ESTABLISHED BY ORDINANCE THIS YEAR, THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY, THE HON JOHN BREMRIDGE, SAID IN HIS BUDGET SPEECH.

THE DEPARTMENT WILL COMBINE THE IMPORTANT FIELDS OF TECHNICAL EDUCATION AND INDUSTRIAL TRAINING UNDER ONE AUTHORITY,

THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY ESTIMATED THAT EXPENDITURE ON THE WHOLE FIELD OF EDUCATION WOULD AMOUNT TO $4.7 BILLION FOR THE 1982-83 YEAR.

THE LARGEST SINGLE SUM OF $1 640 MILLION WILL BE SPENT ON SECONDARY SCHOOLS AND TECHNICAL INSTITUTES, IN PURSUIT OF THE OBJECTIVE OF INCREASING DURING THE 1980'S THE NUMBER OF PLACES IN SCHOOLS, TECHNICAL INSTITUTES AND ADULT EDUCATION CENTRES TO MEET THE FULL DEMAND FROM FORM 111 LEAVERS SUITABLE FOR THE KIND OF COURSES PROVIDED, HE SAID.

SINCE SEPTEMBER 1980, SUBSIDISED PLACES IN FORM TO 1 OF SECONDARY SCHOOLS HAVE BEEN AVAILABLE TO MEET THE FULL DEMAND AT THIS LEVEL.

IN SEPTEMBER 1981 THERE WERE 57 255 SUBSIDISED FORM IV PLACES IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS, AND THE FIGURE IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE TO 57 635 PLACES BY THIS SEPTEMBER.

THERE WILL ALSO BE INCREASES IN FULL-TIME PLACES ON CRAFT AND DIPLOMA COURSES, AS WELL AS IN PART-TIME DAY COURSES, IN THE FIVE TECHNICAL INSTITUTES.

DRAFT ESTIMATES OF $1 297 MILLION EARMARKED FOR PRIMARY SCHOOLS FOR THE YEAR.

+FREE AND UNIVERSAL PRIMARY SCHOOLING HAS BEEN AVAILABLE SINCE 1971 AND THERE IS A SURPLUS OF PLACES IN SOME PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN OLDER PARTS OF THE URBAN AREA,+ HE SAID.

GOVERNMENT'S POLICY HOWEVER, WAS THAT NO CHILD SHOULD HAVE TO TRAVEL AN UNREASONABLE DISTANCE TO ATTEND PRIMARY SCHOOL AND NINE NEW PRIMARY SCHOOLS ARE EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED IN 1982-83 IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES IN THE NEW TOWNS AND OTHER DEVELOPING AREAS, MR BREMRIDGE SAID.

SOME $32 MILLION, WILL BE SPENT (AGAINST $24 MILLION) MAINLY IN ASSISTING POST SECONDARY COLLEGES IN RESTRUCTURING THE IR COURSES TO PROVIDE PLACES IN THE FORM VI AND POST FORM VI LEVELS. THE BAPTIST COLLEGE AND THE LINGNAN COLLEGE HAD OPTED FOR SUCH ASSISTANCE, HE SAID.

AT THE TERTIARY LEVEL, $1 110 MILLION WILL BE PROVIDED FOR UNIVERSITY AND POLYTECHNIC EDUCATION, AS AGAINST $943 MILLION IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR.

/THE FUNDS,