XN000022-1983-07-13 — Page 6

WEDNESDAY, JULY 13, 1983

5

תי

UNOFFICIALS SPEAK ON EDUCATION REPORT

MEMBERS OF THE UMELCO EDUCATION AND MANPOWER PANEL SPOKE IN SUPPORT OF THE MOTION ON THE REPORT ENTITLED +A PERSPECTIVE ON EDUCATION IN HONG KONG+ AT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL MEETING TODAY.

THE UNOFFICIALS WERE DR THE HON HARRY FANG, REV THE HON JOYCE BENNETT, DR THE HON RAYSON HUANG, THE HON CHARLES YEUNG, DR THE HON HO KAM-FAI, THE HON ANDREW SO, THE HON K.C. CHAN, THE HON SELINA CHOW, THE HON MARIA TAM AND DR THE HON HENRIETTA IP.

THEY WERE JOINED BY TWO OTHER UNOFFICIALS, THE HON T.S. LO AND THE HON PETER C. WONG WHO SPOKE IN SUPPORT OF THE MOTION MOVED BY THE CONVENER OF THE UMELCO PANEL, REV THE HON PATRICK MCGOVERN.

DR HARRY FANG URGED THE GOVERNMENT TO PUT AWAY THE IDEA THAT THE PROVISION OF EDUCATION TO DISABLED CHILDREN WAS A +SERVICE+.

+THEY SHOULD ENJOY THE FULL RANGE OF FACILITIES AVAILABLE TO OTHER CHILDREN,

•AS I SEE IT, THEY HAVE A RIGHT TO DO SO,+ DR FANG SAID.

HE AGREED WITH THE SECTION OF THE REPORT WHICH SAYS THERE ARE NO TWO POPULATIONS OF CHILDREN IN HONG KONG SCHOOLS - THE ABLE AND THE DISABLED BUT A SINGLE POPULATION OF CHILDREN- AND THAT INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES ARE MATTERS OF DEGREE, DISTRIBUTED ALONG A CONTINUUM+.

THE REV JOYCE BENNETT DESCRIBED THE MOTION AS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT WHICH THIS COUNCIL HAS HAD BEFORE IT FOR SOME TIME+,

+IT INVOLVES THE WHOLE FUTURE OF OUR CHILDREN- THE IR FUTURE IS IN OUR HANDS TODAY AS WE CONSIDER WHETHER OR NOT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD USE THE REPORT AS A BASIS FOR CONTINUING ITS IMPROVEMENTS IN THE EDUCATION OF OUR CHILDREN, SHE SAID.

MISS BENNETT POINTED OUT THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAD ALREADY TAKEN SOME STEPS TO IMPROVE LANGUAGE TEACHING.

+NOW WE NEED TO GO FURTHER AND HAVE THE GOVERNMENT GIVE POSITIVE ENCOURAGEMENT TO THE USE OF CHINESE AS THE MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION.

+BETTER CHINESE TEXTBOOKS MUST BE PRODUCED BEFORE MANY SCHOOLS WILL VENTURE TO CHANGE TO EDUCATION IN THE MOTHER-TONGUE,+ SHE SAID.

SHE SUGGESTED THAT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD SPONSOR TRANSLATORS FOR SOME OF THE BEST ENGLISH MATERIAL AND THE SERVICES OF THE PRINTING WORKSHOPS OF THE CORRECTIONAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT SHOULD BE ENLISTED.

/+I AL