XN000022-1983-07-13 — Page 8

WEDNESDAY, JULY 13, 1983

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+FOR HONG KONG'S ONLY RESOURCES ARE ITS HUMAN ONES. THESE ARE THE RESOURCES WHICH HAVE BROUGHT ABOUT HONG KONG'S PROSPERITY IN THE PAST AND WILL DETERMINE HOW WE FARE IN THE FUTURE, DR HUANG ADDED.

HE VOICED SUPPORT FOR THE RECOMMENDATION THAT THE ENTRANCE QUALIFICATION TO THE UNIVERSITIES AND POLYTECHNICS SHOULD BE HARMONISED, AND SUGGESTED THAT IN DUE COURSE, THERE SHOULD BE ONE SINGLE AGENCY FOR THE WHOLE OF HONG KONG TO RECEIVE AND PROCESS APPLICATIONS FOR ADMISSION TO THESE INSTITUTIONS.

HE ALSO SUPPORTED THE RECOMMENDATION THAT FORMS SIX AND SEVEN SHOULD FORM AN INTEGRATED TWO-YEAR COURSE IN A COMPREHENSIVE RANGE OF SUBJECTS.

HE ENDORSED THE PANEL'S VIEW THAT THERE IS AN OVERWHELMING CASE FOR THE EXPANSION OF OPPORTUNITY FOR STUDY AT THE DEGREE LEVEL+.

HE SAID THAT FOR A POPULATION OF NEARLY SIX MILLION, 12 000 UNIVERSITY PLACES HAD TO BE CONSIDERED QUITE INADEQUATE.

+EVEN AMONG SOME UNDER-DEVELOPED COUNTRIES, THE YOUNG HAVE GREATER ACCESS TO HIGHER EDUCATION THAN OURS HAVE IN HONG KONG, DR HUANG SAID.

HE ALSO EXPRESSED THE VIEW THAT THE MOTHER TONGUE WAS THE MOST EFFECTIVE MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION FOR FORMS ONE TO THREE.

VARIOUS OF THE VIEWS WERE SHARED BY OTHER UNOFFICIAL

MEMBERS.

MR CHARLES YEUNG, HOWEVER, SAID THAT THE USE OF CANTONESE AS A MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION IN THE PRIMARY SCHOOLS SHOULD BE AT THE DISCRETION OF THE SCHOOL AUTHORITY, AS UNIFORMITY OFTEN FAILED TO CATER FOR DIFFERENT SITUATIONS.

HE ALSO NOTED THAT THE REPORT DID NOT DEAL WITH THE SPECIAL SITUATION OF EDUCATION IN AREAS OUTSIDE METROPOLITAN HONG KONG.

+I WOULD THEREFORE LIKE TO MAKE A PLEA THAT THE EDUCATION COMMISSION MAY BE DISPOSED TO LOOK INTO DETAILS OF THE SCHOOLS IN THE NT, HE SAID.

DR HO KAM FAI CONSIDERED THE RECOMMENDATIONS CONTAINED IN THE REPORT TO BE GENERALLY SOUND, PRAGMATIC AND WORTHY OF IMPLEMENTATION+.

WHILE ENDORSING THE REPORT'S RECOMMENDATION ON THE ISSUE OF THE MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION, DR HO SAID THAT SCHOOLS WITH PROVEN SUCCESS IN THE USE OF ENGLISH AS SUCH A MEDIUM SHOULD BE PERMITTED TO CONTINUE THE IR TRADITION.

DELET