XN000022-1982-05-20 — Page 5

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THURSDAY, MAY 20, 1982

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COURSE THE TREAT OPPORTUNITY HERE IS TO BREAK DOWN 'THEY RELATIO SO THAT WE ARE ALL VARIOUS FORMS OF 'US'

IN ORDER TO WIN OVER THE PUBLIC, IT IS THE JOB OF ALL COMPUTER PEOPLE, NOT JUST THE INDUSTRY NARROWLY CONCEIVED, TO MEET AND OVERCOME THE FEARS PEOPLE HAVE OF COMPUTERS - THE FEAR OF JOB LOSS, JOB CHANGE OR LOSS OF JOB AMENITY- THE FEAR OF SOMEONE KNOWING ALL ABOUT YOU AND KEEPING YOU UNDER CONSTANT SURVEILLANCE AND THE FEAR OF THE MACHINE TAKING OVER.

+MY OWN OPINION, HE ADDED, IS THAT WE CANNOT PLUMB ALL THE POTENTIAL USES OF THE COMPUTER. NEVERTHELESS WE DO NOT NEED TO FEAR IT. +

MR TOPLEY THEN DISCUSSED THE SUBJECT OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING FOR AN INDUSTRY THAT CALLS FOR MORE EFFICIENCY AND FRESH IDEAS, AND ALSO NEW APPROACHES TO TOP MANAGEMENT.

+THESE REQUIREMENTS SUGGEST GREATER DISCIPLINE - MORE RIGOROUS TRAINING ON THE ONE HAND, AND PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT MORE EDUCATION ON THE OTHER, HE SAID.

THE ESTABLISHMENT BY STATUTE OF THE AUTONOMOUS VOCATIONAL TRAINING COUNCIL WITH A STRONG EXECUTIVE ARM WAS A MAJOR STEP. THIS COUNCIL WILL BOTH ASSESS AND MEET HONG KONG'S TRAINING NEEDS.

THE WORK OF THE COUNCIL WHOSE CHAIRMAN AND DEPUTY CHAIRMAN ARE BOTH INDUSTRIALISTS WOULD BE ENTIRELY AND DIRECTLY FINANCED FROM GOVERNMENT FUNDS. THE COUNCIL WOULD SHORTLY ESTABLISH A HIGH-POWERED TRAINING COMMITTEE SPECIFICALLY DEDICATED TO ELECTRONIC DATA PROCESSING ON WHICH THE INDUSTRY WOULD BE WELL REPRESENTED. IT WOULD BE THIS COMMITTEE'S JOB TO HAMMER OUT PRACTICAL PROPOSALS TO MEET THE TRAINING NEEDS OF THE INDUSTRY.

+WE ARE EXPECTING SPEEDY AND EFFECTIVE ACTION,+ MR TOPLEY

SAID.

AS FOR EDUCATION, THE GOVERNMENT HAS ALREADY ASKED THE UNIVERSITY AND POLYTECHNIC GRANTS COMMITTEE TO REQUEST THE TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS TO GIVE PRIORITY TO THE EXPANSION OF COURSES IN COMPUTER STUDIES. THERE WAS EVERY SIGN THAT THE UNIVERSITIES AND POLYTECHNIC WERE DOING JUST THIS.

AT THE SCHOOL LEVEL, A NEWLY-APPROVED SUBJECT COMPUTER STUDIES WILL BE INTRODUCED IN SEPTEMBER 1982 AT F.4 LEVEL THROUGH A PILOT SCHEME INVOLVING 30 SECONDARY SCHOOLS. MOREOVER, THE HONG KONG EXAMINATION AUTHORITY WILL PROVIDE AN EXAMINATION FOR THIS SUBJECT AT CERTIFICATE OF EDUCATION LEVEL IN MAY 1984.

A FULL REVIEW OF THE PILOT SCHEME WILL BE MADE IN 1984. #F FOUND SUCCESSFUL THE SCHEME WILL BE EXTENDED TO INTRODUCE COMPUTER STUDIES INTO MORE SCHOOLS.

MR TOPLEY URGED THE HONG KONG COMPUTER COMMUNITY TO PLAY ITS ROLE IN EDUCATION AND TRAINING BY BUILDING ON THE UNIQUE STYLE WHICH IT HAD DEVELOPED AND TAKING FURTHER THE IDEA OF A CLUB WHICH IS ALSO A LEARNING CENTRE.

THIS MIGHT BECOME A CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE WHERE EXPERTISE AND KNOWHOW ARE SHARED, AND NEW CONCEPTS COULD BE GENERATED, HE SAID.