XN000022-1983-06-24 — Page 6

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GOVERNOR RENEWS CALL FOR VIEWS ON EDUCATION REPORT

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THE GOVERNOR, SIR EDWARD YOUDE, TODAY RENEWED THE APPEAL FOR PUBLIC VIEWS ON THE REPORT ON THE OVERALL REVIEW OF EDUCATION.

+THESE VIEWS WILL BE AN ESSENTIAL ELEMENT IN THE PROCESS OF REACHING DECISIONS ON THE REPORT. THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY NOT TO BE LOST, THE GOVERNOR SAID.

SIR EDWARD WAS SPEAKING AT THE OPENING OF THE JU CHING CHU ENGLISH COLLEGE IN KWAI CHUNG, TSUEN WAN.

SPEAKING AFTER THE WELCOMING ADDRESS BY MR DEACON CHIU, CHAIRMAN OF THE SCHOOL BOARD, THE GOVERNOR SAID HONG KONG LIVED IN A COMPETITIVE WORLD AND NEEDED THE BEST POSSIBLE SYSTEM OF EDUCATION TO TRAIN ITS FUTURE GENERATIONS TO COMPETE IN THAT WORLD.

FOLLOWING IS THE TEXT OF THE GOVERNOR'S SPEECH:

MR AND MRS CHIU, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, GIRLS AND BOYS,

I AM VERY PLEASED TO BE HERE TODAY TO OPEN THE JU CHING CHU ENGLISH COLLEGE.

THIS FINE NEW SCHOOL STANDS ON A SITE GRANTED BY THE GOVERNMENT AT NIL PREMIUM. IT HAS BEEN BUILT AT A COST OF ABOUT $25 MILLION RAISED ALMOST ENTIRELY BY MR CHIU AND HIS ASSOCIATES. THE NEW PREMISES CONTAIN 40 CLASSROOMS, 15 SPECIALIST ROOMS AND OTHER FACILITIES. THERE IS A FIRST CLASS GYMNASIUM, A LARGE INDOOR SWIMMING POOL AND A FULLY AIR- CONDITIONED ASSEMBLY HALL WHICH WILL ALSO BE AVAILABLE FOR USE BY THE PUBLIC.

+EDUCATION IS A MATTER FOR THE WHOLE COMMUNITY PARENTS, TEACHERS AND STUDENTS ALIKE, FROM KINDERGARTEN TO THE UNIVERSITY LEVEL. HONG KONG LIVES IN A COMPETITIVE WORLD AND IT NEEDS THE BEST POSSIBLE SYSTEM OF EDUCATION TO TRAIN ITS FUTURE GENERATIONS TO COMPETE IN THAT WORLD.

+EARLY LAST MONTH, THE GOVERNMENT PUBLISHED THE REPORT ON THE OVERALL REVIEW OF EDUCATION. THIS WIDE RANGING REPORT EXAMINES ALL ASPECTS AND LEVELS OF OUR EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM AND MAKES RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE WAY IN WHICH IT SHOULD DEVELOP. BECAUSE OF THE IMPORTANCE OF DEVELOPING THE BEST POSSIBLE QUALITY OF EDUCATION IN HONG KONG, THE GOVERNMENT IS NOW SEEKING PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THE REPORT. DISTRICT BOARDS ARE ALREADY BEING CONSULTED AND I KNOW THAT MANY OF YOU HERE WILL HAVE YOUR OWN VIEWS ON IT.

+I SHOULD LIKE TO RENEW TODAY THE GOVERNMENT'S APPEAL TO EVERYONE CONCERNED ABOUT THE FUTURE OF OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM - TEACHERS, PARENTS, STUDENTS AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY - TO LET THE GOVERNMENT KNOW THEIR VIEWS ON THE REPORT'S FINDINGS BEFORE THE END OF AUGUST. THESE VIEWS WILL BE AN ESSENTIAL ELEMENT IN THE PROCESS OF REACHING DECISIONS ON THE REPORT. THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY NOT TO BE LOST.

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+IN CONCLUSION CONGRATULATE YOU, MR CHIU, AND ALL THOSE WHO HAVE ASSISTED IN THIS PROJECT. I WISH THE COLLEGE, ITS STAFF AND STUDENTS EVERY SUCCESS IN THE FUTURE AND I NOW HAVE MUCH PLEASURE IN DECLARING OPEN THE JU CHING CHU ENGLISH COLLEGE.+