XN000022-1982-11-24 — Page 27

HAASDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 1982

+WE BELIEVE THAT SEX IS BUT ONE OF MANY FACETS OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, AND ACCORDINGLY EMBODY ASPECTS OF SEX EDUCATION IN BASIC SUBJECTS SUCH AS HEALTH EDUCATION, SOCIAL STUDIES AND IN THE BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES, RATHER THAN PRÉSENT IT AS A SEPARATE SUBJECT,+ HE SAID.

THIS WAS THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY OF DEALING WITH THE TOPIC BECAUSE IT ENABLED CHILDREN TO UNDERSTAND SEX AS PART OF A PERSON'S TOTAL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING, RATHER THAN AS SOMETHING WHICH WAS ISOLATED FROM OTHER ASPECTS OF PERSONAL AND SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR.

IN THIS APPROACH, APTLY DESCRIBED AS FAMILY LIFE EDUCATION, THE FAMILY PLAYED AS IMPORTANT A ROLE AS THE SCHOOL IN PROMOTING CHILDREN'S UNDERSTANDING AND ACCEPTANCE OF SEX, THE DIRECTOR SAID.

MOST SCHOOLS ACCEPTED THE PROVISION FOR SEX EDUCATION BUT THE IR PRACTICE VARIED, MR HAYE SAID, EMPHASISING THAT ALTHOUGH THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT RECOMMENDED AND ENCOURAGED SEX EDUCATION, IT DID NOT BELIEVE IN FORCING PEOPLE TO ACCEPT ITS VIEWS.

+THIS IS TRUE OF ALL SUBJECTS IN THE SCHOOL CURRICULUM. WE POINT THE WAY BUT IT IS UP TO THE SCHOOLS TO TRAVEL THE DISTANCE, HE SAID.

TRAFFIC CONGESTION IN BUILT-UP AREAS

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ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC GENERATED BY SIGNIFICANT ADDITIONAL PARK ING FACILITIES PROVIDED IN NEW COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS WOULD HAVE BROUGHT CERTAIN ROADS UP TO SATURATION POINT, THE SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT THE HON ALAN SCOTT TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.

MR SCOTT WAS REPLYING TO A QUESTION BY DR THE HON RAYSON HUANG AS TO WHY THE GOVERNMENT HAD NOT REQUIRED LARGE COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS BEING BUILT IN THE TOWN AREA TO PROVIDE THE IR OWN PARKING FACILITIES, DESPITE THE EXPECTATION OVER THE YEARS THAT TRAFFIC CONGESTION IN THE AREA WOULD INCREASE SHARPLY.

MR SCOTT SAID, IT HAD BEEN CLEAR FOR SOME YEARS THAT IN THE BUILT-UP AREAS CONGESTION WAS REACHING UNDESIRABLY HIGH LEVELS.

HE ADDED THAT THE MAIN CONSTRAINT ON FURTHER TRAFFIC IS THE CAPACITY OF ALREADY BUSY CENTRAL ROADS,

REFERRING TO DR HUANG'S QUESTION ON WHETHER THE GOVERNMENT WOULD CONSIDER REQUIRING DEVELOPERS OF COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS IN THE TOWN AREA TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ADEQUATE PROVISION OF CAR PARKING FACILITIES FOR THEIR TENANTS, MR SCOTT SAID:

+PARKING STANDARDS ARE BEING REVIEWED AND SOME RELAXATION OF RESIDENTIAL PARKING STANDARDS IS LIKELY, AND THE STANDARDS FOR COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS ARE NEXT FOR REVIEW.

HOWEVER, HE STRESSED THAT THE CAPACITY OF EXISTING ROAD NETWORK IN BUILT-UP ZONE ! AREAS WOULD REMAIN THE MAIN CONSTRAINT.

+THEREFORE, IT WOULD BE BETTER TO CONSIDER EACH SITE ON ITS MERITS, AND TO SET PARKING PROVISION AT A LEVEL AT WHICH THE TRAFFIC GENERATED WILL NOT OVERLOAD ADJACENT STREETS, HE SAID.