XN000022-1984-07-12 — Page 6

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THURSDAY, JULY 12, 1984

GRADUATES' ROLE IN COMMUNITY STRESSED

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SECONDARY SCHOOL LEAVERS WERE TODAY (THURSDAY) URGED BY A SENIOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL TO HELP BUILD A GOOD LIFE FOR HONG KONG PEOPLE.

THE CALL CAME FROM THE SECRETARY FOR DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION, MR DAVID AKERS-JONES, WHEN HE ADDRESSED GRADUATES AT THE FIRST SPEEC DAY OF THE YAN CHAI HOSPITAL LIM POR YEN SECONDARY SCHOOL.

+1 HOPE THAT SOME OF YOU HAVE ACQUIRED IN SCHOOL THAT LOVE OF LEARNING WHICH WILL GIVE YOU A SOURCE OF PLEASURE THROUGHOUT YOUR LIVES, WHICH WILL ENRICH YOUR LIVES AND THE LIFE OF THE COMMUNITY IN WHICH YOU LIVE, HE SAID.

+YOUR FUTURE IS HERE AND WE MUST CONTINUE TO BUILD A FULL AND HAPPY LIFE FOR OUR PEOPLE BY USING THE IMAGINATION, ENTERPRISE, DETERMINATION AND KNOWLEDGE THAT HAVE BROUGHT HONG KONG TO THE PRE-EMINENT POSITION WE ENJOY TODAY.+

MR AKERS-JONES STRESSED THAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS DETERMINED TO ENSURE THAT THE TRAINED MINDS AND SKILLS NECESSARY FOR THE MOMENTUM OF GROWTH IN ALL SECTORS OF OUR SOCIETY WERE AVAILABLE AND THAT THE PACE OF PROGRESS AND IMPROVEMENT WAS MAINTAINED.

IN THIS YEAR ALONE 16 NEW PRIMARY AND 13 SECONDARY SCHOOLS WOULD BE OPENED, THOUGH THESE FIGURES WERE ONLY ONE SMALL FRAGMENT OF THE WHOLE PICTURE+, HE SAID.

HE LISTED SOME OF THE PROBLEMS FACING HONG KONG'S EDUCATION SYSTEM: WHAT IS BEST FOR THE STUDENTS AND FOR HONG KONG; HOW TO SOLVE THE COMPLEXITIES OF THE LANGUAGE ISSUE; AND HOW TO FIND THE CAPITAL RESOURCES TO SATISFY THE INSATIABLE THIRST FOR KNOWLEDGE.

+THESE AND MANY OTHER PROBLEMS ARE NOW IN THE HANDS OF OUR EDUCATION COMMISSION AND THERE WILL, NO DOUBT, BE MANY DIFFICULT DECISIONS TO MAKE AS WE MOVE FORWARD.

+ BUT IN CONSIDERING THESE PROBLEMS, WE SHOULD DRAW STRENGTH FROM THE KNOWLEDGE OF HOW MUCH HAS BEEN ACHIEVED IN THE 13 YEARS SINCE UNIVERSAL PRIMARY EDUCATION WAS INTRODUCED IN 1971.

+AND WE SHOULD DRAW STRENGTH AND CONFIDENCE FROM THE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF OUR EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, + HE SAID.

MR AKERS-JONES ALSO PAID TRIBUTE TO THE HOSPITAL'S BOARD OF DIRECTORS WHOSE SPIRIT OF SERVICE HAD BEEN AND WOULD REMAIN A CONSTANT SOURCE OF ENCOURAGEMENT TO THOSE WHO WORKED FOR THE COMMUNITY.

+FROM THE CONSTRUCTION, MANAGEMENT AND EXPANSION OF THE HOSPITAL TO THE MANAGEMENT OF THIS SCHOOL AND MANY OTHER COMMUNITY FACILITIES, IT HAS BEEN A BIG STEP FORWARD FOR THE YAN CHAI DIRECTORS WHO, THROUGH MANY DIFFICULT YEARS, HAVE MAINTAINED THEIR COMMITMENT TO TSUEN WAN,+ HE SAID.

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