XN000022-1983-10-26 — Page 6

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WEDNESDAY, OCT. 26, 1983

+WE WILL ALSO SHARE YOUR CONSCIOUSNESS OF THE IMPORTANCE OF THOSE ESSENTIALS OF A FREE SOCIETY AND OUR DEEP DESIRE TO MAINTAIN THEM,+ HE SAID.

MR WU SAID HE BELIEVED THAT HONG KONG +WILL BENEFIT IN AN ENTIRELY PRACTICAL WAY FROM THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF THESE ARTS.+ AND HE THOUGHT THAT THIS IS A GOOD TIME TO REMIND OURSELVES OF THAT.+

+ART IS NOT DIVORCED FROM LIFE AND EXPERIENCE IN THAT WAY: IT IS THE EXPRESSION OF OUR ATTITUDE TOWARDS OUR LIVES AND OUR EXPERIENCES,+ HE SAID.

*WE WANT TO SHOW WHAT SATISFACTIONS OUR SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC SYSTEM PROVIDES AND EVEN MORE WE WANT OTHERS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT MAKES IT SATISFYING.

+THE ARTS, IN ALL THEIR FORMS WILL HELP US TO DO THAT, AND WOULD DESERVE OUR SUPPORT FOR THAT REASON ALONE, + HE ADDED.

MR WU CONGRATULATED THE GOVERNMENT FOR HAVING SPONSORED THE THIRD CONFERENCE OF COMMONWEALTH ARTS ADMINISTRATORS AND SAID THAT A FULL REPORT OF THE DELIBERATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS WOULD SHORTLY BE AVAILABLE THROUGH THE RECREATION AND CULTURE DEPARTMENT.

COMMENTING ON EDUCATION, MR WU URGED THE GOVERNMENT TO PROCEED WITH THE IMPROVEMENT OF LANGUAGE STANDARDS NOW WITHOUT WAITING FOR THE RESOLUTION OF OTHER PROBLEMS.

+ALL OF US WHO HAVE THIS MATTER AT HEART AND WHO REALISE HOW CRUCIAL LANGUAGE IS TO THE ADVANCEMENT OF OUR INTELLECTUAL AND EVEN OUR ECONOMIC LIFE WOULD LIKE TO SEE A START MADE BEFORE STANDARDS DETERIORATE FURTHER AS THEY WILL CERTAINLY DO.

+MUCH HAS BEEN SAID ABOUT THE GENERAL STANDARD OF ENGLISH IN HONG KONG AND WHAT SHOULD BE DONE ABOUT IT, BUT THE QUESTION OF CHINESE OUGHT NOT BE FORGOTTEN, HE SAID.

+AND HOPE THAT WE CAN HAVE AN INDICATION IN THIS DEBATE OF THE FATE OF THE REPORT OF THE WORKING PARTY ON THE CHINESE LANGUAGE FOUNDATION WHICH I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF CHAIRING,✦ HE ADDED.

HE ALSO STRESSED THAT OUR EFFORTS IN IMPROVING LANGUAGE STANDARDS MUST START WITH THE SCHOOLS, BUT IT MUST NOT END WITH THE SCHOOLS. THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE SHOULD ALSO BE A TARGET IF WE WISH TO ACHIEVE A MULTIPLYING EFFECT, HE SAID.

ON THE SUBJECT OF MEDICAL TRAINING, MR WU NOTED THAT THERE HAD BEEN REPORTS OF DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE UNIVERSITIES AND THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT OVER THE USE OF HOSPITALS FOR TEACHING.

HE SAID THAT THERE WAS A POINT OF PRINCIPLE AT STAKE WHICH INVOLVED THE CAREER OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE IN HOSPITALS ADMINISTERED BY THE DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES BUT STAFFED IN PART BY THE UNIVERSITIES.

/THESE PROBLEMS