XN000022-1982-07-28 — Page 12

WEDNESDAY, JULY 28, 1982

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BIG GROWTH IN EDUCATION

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THERE HAS BEEN A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THE PROVISION OF PUBLIC SECTOR PLACES IN FORMS IV AND V SINCE THE PUBLICATION OF THE WHITE PAPER ON SENIOR SECONDARY AND TERTIARY EDUCATION IN 1978, THE SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION, THE HON COLVYN HAYE SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

IN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON S.L. CHEN IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, MR HAYE SAID THE NUMBER OF THESE PLACES IN SEPTEMBER 1981 HAD MORE THAN DOUBLED THOSE AVAILABLE IN 1978.

+THIS SEPTEMBER, 21 NEW SECONDARY SCHOOLS WILL COME INTO FULL OPERATION, RAISING SUBSIDISED FORM IV PLACES STILL FURTHER, AND IT IS EXPECTED THAT BY 1985, WITH THE COMPLETION OF THE SCHOOL BUILDING PROGRAMME, THE WHITE PAPER TARGET OF 57 000 SENIOR SECONDARY PLACES WILL HAVE BEEN MET,+ HE SAID.

AT THE SIXTH FORM LEVEL, HE ADDED, THE TARGET PLACES FOR UP TO ONE-THIRD OF STUDENTS ENTERING SUBSIDISED FORM IV PLACES TWO YEARS PREVIOUSLY HAD ALREADY BEEN ACHIEVED.

THE SCHOOL SYSTEM HAD ALSO BEEN SIMPLIFIED, AS ENVISAGED IN THE WHITE PAPER, BY CONVERTING SECONDARY MODERN SCHOOLS INTO SECONDARY TECHNICAL SCHOOLS. FIFTY-SEVEN NON-PROFIT MAKING SCHOOLS WITH CAPUT GRANT WILL ALSO BECOME FULLY AIDED THIS SEPTEMBER.

+MEASURES HAVE BEEN TAKEN TO ENCOURAGE SCHOOLS TO BROADEN THE IR CURRICULUM, WITH GREATER EMPHASIS ON PRACTICAL AND TECHNICAL SUBJECTS, MR HAYE SAID.

ON TERTIARY EDUCATION, HE SAID THE COMMISSIONING OF A DENTAL SCHOOL AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG AND A MEDICAL SCHOOL AT THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY HAD BEEN NOTABLE DEVELOPMENTS.

AT THE SAME TIME, HE ADDED, THE NUMBER OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS HAS SEEN HEALTHY GROWTH.

DEVELOPMENTS IN THE POLYTECHNIC HAD ALSO REFLECTED ITS GROWING IMPORTANCE IN MEETING HONG KONG'S NEEDS FOR SKILLED AND TRAINED TECHNICIANS AND TECHNOLOGISTS.

SINCE THE WHITE PAPER, MR HAYE ADDED, THERE HAD ALSO BEEN A SERIES OF BUILDING PROGRAMMES TO EXPAND TECHNICAL EDUCATION, HIGHLIGHTED BY THE ESTABLISHMENT IN FEBRUARY THIS YEAR OF A VOCATIONAL TRAINING COUNCIL FOR CO-ORDINATING THE DEVELOPMENT OF A COMPREHENSIVE SYSTEM OF TECHNICAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING IN INDUSTRY AND COMMERCE.

THIS WILL, I AM SURE, RESULT IN A FURTHER STRENGTHENING OF OUR INDUSTRIAL BASE, + MR HAYE SAID.