XN000022-1984-10-25 — Page 22

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1984

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CALL FOR CIVIC EDUCATION ADVISORY BODY

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A CIVIC EDUCATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE, COMPOSED OF MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC AND GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, SHOULD BE SET UP TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE GOVERNMENT ON THE BASIC POLICY, IMPLEMENTATION AND MONITORING OF CIVIC EDUCATION,

TODAY.

THIS WAS STATED BY THE HON KEITH LAM IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

+IN VIEW OF THE RELATIVELY LOW LEVEL OF POLITICAL AND CIVIC CONSCIOUSNESS OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC, THE TARGETS FOR THE CIVIC EDUCATION PROGRAMME SHOULD NOT BE CONFINED TO SCHOOL CHILDREN ALONE BUT SHOULD INCLUDE THE PUBLIC AT LARGE, AS WELL, + HE SAID.

IN REVIEWING DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION AND COMMUNITY BUILDING, MR LAM SAID IT WAS HOPED THAT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD PAY MORE ATTENTION TO COMMUNITY CENTRE FACILITIES. COMMUNITY CENTRES WERE A MUST TO COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES, AND WITHOUT THEM COMMUNITY- BUILDING ACTIVITIES WOULD BE SOMEWHAT RESTRAINED.

+UNFORTUNATELY, THE LACK OF COMMUNITY CENTRES IS SOMETIMES NEITHER DUE TO THE LACK OF SUITABLE VENUES OR TECHNICAL PROBLEMS, NOR DUE TO FINANCIAL AND MANAGEMENT PROBLEMS, BUT PURELY BECAUSE THE AUTHORITIES CONCERNED HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO AGREE ON A FINAL RECOMMENDATION ON THE 'REQUISITE STANDARDS FOR COMMUNITY CENTRE FACILITIES' AND THE ENTIRE PROCESS HAS BEEN DELAYED, HE SAID.

IN THIS REGARD, MR LAM HOPED THE GOVERNMENT WOULD SPEED UP FORMULATION OF A FINAL RECOMMENDATION AND SUBMIT IT TO THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

TURNING TO EDUCATION, HE CONSIDERED THE EXISTING SYSTEM OF FREE EDUCATION SHOULD BE EXTENDED TO FORM V.

IN ADDITION, SCHOOL PLACES COULD BE DIVIDED INTO TWO GROUPS AFTER FORM || - ONE GROUP TAXING UP PLACES IN THE ORDINARY GRAN -- SCHOOLS, AND THE OTHER TAKING PLACES IN INDUSTRIAL TRAINING OR VOCATIONAL TRAINING INSTITUTES TO CATER FOR STUDENTS WITH DIFF = INTERESTS OR NEEDS.

→AS SOME OF THE STUDENTS ARE KEEN ON FINDING A SOURCE OF 1: AND THEREFORE HAVE TO WORK, THE PROVISION OF FREE PART-TIME 30- PLACES WILL SUIT THEIR REQUIREMENTS BETTER, HE SAID.

MR LAM FURTHER SUGGESTED HONG KONG SCHOOLS SHOULD START TO INTRODUCE PUTONGHUA AS THE MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION IN CHINESE LANGUAGE CLASSES +TO COPE WITH THE NEW SITUATION+.

L

+AS FOR OTHER SUBJECTS, THE TEACHING MEDIUM COULD BE DETEF i BY THE SCHOOLS THEMSELVES DÉPENDING ON THEIR OWN SPECIAL NEEDS,+ HE SAID.

/ON SOCIAL ..................