XN000022-1983-09-25 — Page 4

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 1983

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SCHOOLS PARTICIPATE IN COMMUNITY AFFAIRS

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THE ADVENT OF THE DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION SYSTEM IS ACCELERATING THE PROCESS OF PARTICIPATION OF THE ORDINARY PEOPLE AND LOCAL INSTITUTIONS, INCLUDING SCHOOLS, IN THE ADMINISTRATION OF THEIR DISTRICT.

THE SECRETARY FOR DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION, MR IAN MACPHERSON, SAID THIS TODAY (SUNDAY) AT THE INAUGURATION CEREMONY OF THE KWUN TONG SCHOOL LIAISON COMMITTEE.

+LIKE OTHER DISTRICTS, AND UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE KWUN TONG DISTRICT BOARD, HEADS OF SCHOOLS IN KWUN TONG HAVE

ALREADY WIDENED THEIR COMMUNITY ROLE AND BEEN PARTICPATING ACTIVELY IN DISCUSSIONS OF VARIOUS IMPORTANT ISSUES, INCLUDING THE RECENTLY PUBLISHED REPORT ON THE LOCAL EDUCATION SYSTEM BY A PANEL OF OVERSEAS VISITORS, AND THE SHORTAGE IN PROVISION OF SECONDARY SCHOOL PLACES IN KWUN TONG, HE SAID.

+THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE KWUN TONG SCHOOL LIAISON COMMITTEE WILL PROVIDE FURTHER IMPETUS TO THIS PROCESS, + HE ADDED.

MR MACPHERSON SAID IT WAS MOST HEARTENING TO WITNESS THE COMING TOGETHER OF OVER 120 HEADS OF SCHOOLS IN THE DISTRICT IN PURSUANCE OF A SET OF COMMON OBJECTIVES. ·

THE SETTING UP OF THE COMMITTEE WAS TO STRENGTHEN THE LIAISON AMONG THE SCHOOLS THEMSELVES AS WELL AS BETWEEN SCHOOLS ON THE ONE HAND AND PARENTS AND STUDENTS ON THE OTHER, HE SAID.

ITS PURPOSE WAS ALSO TO ENCOURAGE SCHOOLS TO ASSUME A WIDER AND MORE ACTIVE ROLE IN THE BUILDING AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE KWUN TONG COMMUNITY, HE SAID.

+THE ENORMOUS DIVERSITY OF THE SCHOOLS REPRESENTED HERE TODAY IS ONE OF OUR STRENGTHS, BOTH LOCALLY AND IN HONG KONG AS A WHOLE; THAT SO MANY DENOMINATIONS AND TYPES OF SCHOOLS CAN COME TOGETHER WITHIN THE SAME FRAMEWORK ADDS GREATLY TO OUR ABILITY TO HANDLE THE MANY PROBLEMS OF OUR COMPLEX SOCIETY. LONG MAY THIS CONTINUE.

+EVER SINCE THE INCEPTION OF THE DISTRICT OFFICE SCHEME IN THE URBAN AREAS IN 1968, SCHOOLS HAVE BEEN AN ACTIVE PARTNER IN THE ORGANISATION OF VARIOUS COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT AND COMMUNITY BUILDING PROJECTS.

+IN KWUN TONG, THE HIGH CONCENTRATION OF. THE POPULATION IN THE PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES AND THE GENERALLY INADEQUATE PROVISION OF COMMUNITY FACILITIES, COUPLED WITH AN INDUSTRIAL ESTABLISHMENT OF OVER 5 000 FACTORIES EMPLOYING NO LESS THAN 150 000 PERSONS HAVE GIVEN THESE PROJECTS A DEGREE OF SPECIAL LOCAL SIGNIFICANCE.

+IN THESE AREAS AS WELL AS AT TIMES OF EMERGENCY WHEN SCHOOLS WILLINGLY MAKE AVAILABLE THEIR PREMISES FOR USE AS TEMPORARY SHELTERS, I AM ACUTELY AWARE OF THE IR VALUABLE CONTRIBUTIONS,+ MR MACPHERSON SAID.

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