XN000022-1984-07-26 — Page 12

THURSDAY, JULY 26, 1984

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IMPORTANCE OF CAREERS EDUCATION STRESSED

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MORE THAN 90 PER CENT OF SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN HONG KONG HAVE AN ESTABLISHED CAREERS PROGRAMME AND A TEAM OF CAREERS TEACHERS, MR MICHAEL LEUNG, ACTING DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION SAID TODAY (THURSDAY).

HE WAS SPEAKING AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE SIXTH SEMINAR ON CAREERS EDUCATION HELD AT THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG.

+WE ALL REALISE THE IMPORTANCE OF CAREERS EDUCATION AND HOW VITAL IT IS THAT YOUNG PEOPLE ARE TRAINED TO MAKE THE TRANSITION FROM THE CLASSROOM TO THE REAL WORLD, FULLY PREPARED AND WELL EQUIPPED FOR ADULT LIFE, MR LEUNG SAID.

IN VIEW OF THIS, THE CAREERS EDUCATION SECTION OF THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT HAD BEEN EXPANDED AND A CARRERS EDUCATION CENTRE WAS ESTABLISHED TO STRENGTHEN ITS ADVISORY AND SUPERVISORY ROLE AND TO PROVIDE THE NECESSARY ASSISTANCE TO YOUNG PEOPLE.

+SINCE THE CENTRE OPENED IN APRIL LAST YEAR, MORE THAN 7 000 PEOPLE HAVE VISITED THE CENTRE AND MORE THAN 8 000 TELEPHONE ENQUIRIES HAVE BEEN SPEEDILY DEALT WITH, + MR LEUNG SAID.

DATA COLLECTION AND INFORMATION DISTRIBUTION HAD BEEN GREATLY ASSISTED BY THE ACQUISITION OF A MICRO-COMPUTER.

THE HONG KONG ASSOCIATION OF CAREERS MASTERS HAD ALSO GIVEN FACILITIES IN THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT HEADQUARTERS TO PROVIDE AN ENQUIRY SERVICE FOR TEACHERS, PARENTS AND STUDENTS, HE SAID.

+THIS VOLUNTARY PROFESSIONAL SERVICE HAS PROVED VERY USEFUL AND THE SERVICE HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO KOWLOON SINCE MAY 1984, + MR LEUNG ADDED.

ALSO SPEAKING AT THE CEREMONY, THE ACTING COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR, DR. JAMES HAYES SAID THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT INTENDED TO EXTEND ITS PIONEERING WORK-ORIENTATION PROGRAMME FOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN THE COMING SCHOOL YEAR.

DR HAYES SAID THE PROGRAMME, FIRST ORGANISED IN MAY FOR 400 SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN TUEN MUN, HAD RECEIVED VERY FAVOURABLE RESPONSE FROM SCHOOLS.

THE PROGRAMME PROVIDED AN OPPORTUNITY FOR STUDENTS TO VISIT VARIOUS PLACES OF EMPLOYMENT AND TO OBSERVE PEOPLE AT WORK IN DIFFERENT OCCUPATIONS.

/DR HAYES