XN000022-1982-11-17 — Page 4

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 1982

ADDITIONALLY, TO MEET THE GOVERNMENT'S REQUEST THAT MORE PLACES SHOULD BE PROVIDED FOR THE. TRAINING OF DOCTORS, LAWYERS, SOCIAL WORKERS, AND TEACHERS IN ORDER TO MEET THE CURRENT SHORTAGE OF PROFESSIONAL MANPOWER IN THESE AREAS, THE UNIVERSITIES WOULD INCREASE THE INTAKE OVER AND ABOVE THE FOUR PER CENT GROWTH RATE. HENCE, BY 1987-88, THE TWO UNIVERSITIES TOGETHER WOULD HAVE 15 000 STUDENTS, 3 000 IN EXCESS OF THE PROJECTION MADE IN THE 1978 WHITE PAPER, HE SAID.

+ THE SUPPLY OF DEGREE PLACES WOULD BE FURTHER AUGMENTED WHEN THE HONG KONG POLYTECHNIC BEGINS TO OFFER DEGREE PROGRAMMES IN 1983, AND THE BAPTIST COLLEGE IS LIKELY TO FOLLOW SUIT A FEW YEARS LATER,+ MR TOPLEY ADDED.

HE STRESSED THAT THE GOVERNMENT FULLY RECOGNISED THE NEED TO EXPAND TERTIARY EDUCATION TO MEET SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DEMANDS. IN TERMS OF DEGREE PLACES, THE LONG-TERM TARGET WOULD BE TO PROVIDE FIRST YEAR PLACES FOR SIX PER CENT OF THE MEAN 17-20 AGE GROUP IN 1989-90, AND EIGHT PER CENT IN 1994-95, WHICH COMPARED VERY FAVOURABLY WITH THE PRESENT 2.5 PER CENT PROVISION.

AS REGARDS NON-DEGREE TERTIARY PLACES, THE MAJOR EXPANSION WOULD BE THROUGH THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A SECOND POLYTECHNIC, FOR WHICH A SITE HAD ALREADY BEEN RESERVED AT TAT CHEE AVENUE, KOWLOON TONG WEST.

+ON THE OTHER HAND, THE TECHNICAL INSTITUTES WOULD ALSO BE EXPANDED SIGNIFICANTLY THROUGH THE COMPLETION OF TWO NEW INSTITUTES AT TUEN MUN AND SHA TIN BEFORE SEPTEMBER 1985, WITH ANOTHER ONE AT CHAI WAN EXPECTED TO BE READY IN 1986, + MR ́‍TOPLEY SAID.

+LOOKING FURTHER AHEAD, THE GOVERNMENT IS CONSIDERING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A THIRD UNIVERSITY OR ANOTHER MAJOR TERTIARY INSTITUTION BY EARLY 1990'S.

+BESIDES, THE GOVERNMENT WILL ALSO BE EXAMINING THE FEASIBILITY OF SETTING UP AN OPEN UNIVERSITY IN HONG KONG, HE ADDED.

THE GOVERNMENT MAINTAINS THE POLICY THAT NO STUDENT SHOULD BE PREVENTED FROM RECEIVING FULL-TIME TERTIARY EDUCATION BECAUSE OF LACK OF MEANS AS GRANTS AND LOANS ARE MADE AVAILABLE THROUGH THE STUDENT FINANCE SCHEMES OPERATED BY THE UNIVERSITY AND POLYTECHNIC GRANTS COMMITTEE AND THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT.

MR TOPLEY POINTED OUT THAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES THAT MIGHT BE FACED BY THOSE HONG KONG STUDENTS, AND FOLLOWING THE RECENT REPORT OF THE OVERSEAS STUDENTS TRUST, A PROPOSAL ON A JOINT SUBSIDY SCHEME HAD BEEN FORWARDED TO THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT FOR CONSIDERATION.

A RESPONSE FROM THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WAS EXPECTED BY THE END OF THIS YEAR, HE SAID.

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