XN000022-1984-01-24 — Page 5

TUESDAY, JANUARY 24, 1984

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DESPITE ITS CENTRAL LOCATION, THE PLACE IS WELL SHELTERED FROM THE NOISE AND BUSTLE OF THE CITY.

+BECAUSE OF ITS PRESTIGIOUS SET-UP, THIS REGISTRY IS GAINING POPULARITY. IN ORDER TO RELIEVE THE PRESSURE ON THE CITY HALL FACILITY, THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT HAS DECIDED TO PROVIDE SUNDAY WEDDING SERVICES FROM MARCH 4 BETWEEN 9 AM AND 1 PM IN THE COTTON TREE DRIVE REGISTRY,+ SHE SAID.

THE MARRIAGE REGISTRIES HAVE ALSO BEEN BUSY DURING RECENT YEARS WITH +POST REGISTRATIONS+, MANY OF THE COUPLES FILING SUCH REGISTRATIONS HAVE BEEN HUSBANDS AND WIVES FOR YEARS BUT HAVE NO OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS TO PROVE THEIR CHINESE CUSTOMARY MARRIAGES.

IN THE FIRST 11 MONTHS OF 1983, THE REGISTRIES PROCESSED 4 838 SUCH REGISTRATIONS, COMPARED WITH 3 421 FOR THE SAME PERIOD IN 1982.

+ IT IS NOT UNCOMMON TO SEE ELDERLY COUPLES BRINGING ALONG EVEN THEIR GRANDCHILDREN TO WITNESS THEIR REGISTRATION, MRS AU-YEUNG SAID.

THE REGISTRIES ALSO ACCEPT APPLICATIONS FROM PEOPLE WHO INTEND TO GET MARRIED ABROAD AND NEED OFFICIAL PROOF THAT THERE IS NO MARRIAGE RECORD IN HONG KONG.

DURING THE SAME PERIOD, THE REGISTRIES ISSUED 13 828 SUCH DOCUMENTS, KNOWN AS THE +CERTIFICATES OF ABSENCE OF MARRIAGE RECORD+.

SCHOOL COMPUTER STUDIES SCHEME ENLARGED

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THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT'S COMPUTER STUDIES PILOT SCHEME WILL BE EXTENDED TO COVER A FURTHER 75 PUBLIC-SECTOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN SEPTEMBER, THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION, MR COLVYN HAYE, ANNOUNCED TODAY (TUESDAY).

HE SAID THAT $9.4 MILLION IN FUNDS HAD BEEN APPROVED BY THE FINANCE COMMITTEE FOR THE PURCHASE OF ALMOST 900 MICROCOMPUTER SYSTEMS, MAKING IT ONE OF THE MOST AMBITIOUS PROJECTS OF ITS KIND IN THE REGION.

THE COMPUTER STUDIES PILOT SCHEME WAS LAUNCHED IN SEPTEMBER 1982 IN 30 SECONDARY SCHOOLS AT FORM IV LEVEL. FORTY-FIVE OTHER SCHOOLS WERE GRANTED PERMISSION TO INTRODUCE THIS SUBJECT SINCE THEY WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE SUITABLE TEACHERS AND EQUIPMENT FROM THEIR OWN RESOURCES. AS A RESULT, ABOUT 3 000 PUPILS WILL BE SITTING THE SUBJECT IN THE HONG KONG CERTIFICATE OF EDUCATION EXAMINATION FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MAY THIS YEAR.

WHEN THE SCHEME WAS LAUNCHED, THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT DECLARED ITS INTENTION OF EXTENDING IT THIS YEAR TO COVER A WIDER RANGE OF SCHOOLS, DEPENDING ON PROGRESS AND AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS.

/MR HAYE