XN000022-1982-07-28 — Page 19

WEDNESDAY, JULY 28, 1982

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UNIVERSITIES TO MEET MANPOWER NEEDS

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THE GROWTH RATE OF THE STUDENT POPULATION OF THE TWO UNIVERSITIES WILL BE RAISED TO MEET HONG KONG'S PROFESSIONAL MANPOWER NEEDS AND STUDENTS' ASPIRATIONS.

AS DETERMINED BY THE GOVERNMENT IN 1980, THE PRESENT GROWTH RATE OF THE UNIVERSITIES FOR THE 1981-84 TRIENNIUM IS FOUR PER CENT PER ANNUM COMPOUND. IT WAS DECIDED SUBSEQUENTLY TO EXTEND THIS GROWTH RATE TO 1984-85 TO ALLOW FOR THE COMPLETION OF THE GOVERNMENT'S DELIBERATIONS ON THE LONGER TERM DEVELOPMENT OF TERTIARY EDUCATION IN HONG KONG BEFORE DECIDING ON STUDENT TARGETS FOR THE NEXT TRIENNIUM.

A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID THAT AFTER CONSIDERING THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE COMMITTEE TO REVIEW POST-SECONDARY AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION AND THE ADVICE OF THE UNIVERSITIES AND POLYTECHNIC GRANTS COMMITTEE, THE GOVERNMENT HAD AGREED

ON UNIVERSITY STUDENT NUMBER TARGETS FOR BOTH THE YEAR 1984-85 AND THE 1985-88 TRIENNIUM.

+PAST EXPERIENCE HAS SHOWN THAT VERY HIGH AND FLUCTUATING RATES OF GROWTH OF ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS CAN BE DETRIMENTAL TO STANDARDS, + THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

IT HAS BEEN DECIDED, THEREFORE, THAT STUDENT NUMBERS SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO CONTINUE TO GROW AT FOUR PER CENT ANNUALLY BETWEEN 1984-88 BUT THAT SPECIFIC REQUESTS BY THE GOVERNMENT FOR MANPOWER TRAINING WOULD BE MET OVER AND ABOVE THE TARGETS BASED ON THE GROWTH RATE.

FOR THE YEAR 1984-85 THE BASIC FOUR PER CENT GROWTH WOULD RAISE THE TOTAL NUMBER OF PLACES TO 6 375 AT HONG KONG UNIVERSITY AND 5 700 AT THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG. GOVERNMENT REQUIREMENTS ARE EXPECTED TO BOOST THESE FIGURES TO 6 600 AND 5 900 RESPECTIVELY.

THE TARGETS FOR THE 1985-88 TRIENNIUM ARE 7 170 FOR HKU AND 6 420 FOR CUHK. THE ACTUAL NUMBER OF PLACES WILL BE

8 000 AND 7 100 RESPECTIVELY AFTER ADDING ON THE GOVERNMENT'S REQUIREMENTS.

THE PROFESSIONALS WHICH THE UNIVERSITIES WILL BE ASKED TO PROVIDE MORE OF ARE TEACHERS, SOCIAL WORKERS, DOCTORS, LAWYERS AND SPEECH THERAPISTS.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID THIS ARRANGEMENT SHOULD MEET SPECIFIC MANPOWER NEEDS UP TO 1988 WITHOUT COMPROMISING THE TWO UNIVERSITIES' OWN DEVELOPMENT.

+IN THE LONGER TERM IT IS ENVISAGED THAT OTHER DEGREE AWARDING INSTITUTIONS BEING PLANNED OR ESTABLISHED WILL BE ABLE TO ABSORB THESE TRAINING NEEDS WITHIN THEIR NORMAL EXPANSION PROGRAMME, THEREBY REDUCING THE LOAD ON THE UNIVERSITIES,+ HE ADDED.