XN000022-1984-11-08 — Page 16

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 1984

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ON THE TOPIC OF A THIRD UNIVERSITY, MR HENDERSON SAID THAT AT PRESENT ABOUT THREE PER CENT OF THE MEAN 17 TO 20 YEAR OLD AGE GROUP WERE PROVIDED WITH FIRST-YEAR FIRST DEGREE PLACES. THE PLAN WAS TO RAISE THIS TO SIX PER CENT BY 1989-90, AND TO EIGHT PER CENT BY 1994-1995.

A THIRD UNIVERSITY MIGHT BE NEEDED IN THE LATE NINETIES, HE SAID, BUT EXPANDING EXISTING UNIVERSITIES MUST BE THE FIRST STEP. ALTHOUGH SOME SUITABLE SITES HAD BEEN IDENTIFIED, RIGOROUS ANALYSIS WOULD BE REQUIRED BEFORE ANY DECISION COULD BE MADE.

MR HENDERSON SAID HE WAS GRATEFUL FOR SUPPORT FOR THE PROPOSED ESTABLISHMENT OF A LOCAL BODY TO VALIDATE DEGREE COURSES TO BE OFFERED AT NON-UNIVERSITY INSTITUTIONS, ON DISTANCE LEARNING HE SAID THE GOVERNMENT CONSIDERS OPEN EDUCATION AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE EDUCATION SYSTEM AND THE FEASIBILITY OF WIDENING THE SCOPE OF SUCH EDUCATION WILL BE ONE OF THE SUBJECTS COVERED IN THE FIRST REPORT OF THE EDUCATION COMMISSION.

A REPORT WILL BE SUBMITTED TO THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL SHORTLY. BY THE WORKING PARTY ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF A CHINESE LANGUAGE FOUNDATION, HE SAID. SUBJECT TO THE APPROVAL OF THE GOVERNOR IN COUNCIL. THE GOVERNMENT WILL ENSURE THAT THE PRODUCTION OF CHINESE TEXTBOOKS IS GIVEN TOP PRIORITY TO FILL ALONG FELT NEED.

MR HENDERSON PAID TRIBUTE TO THE SPEEDY ESTABLISHMENT OF THE CITY POLYTECHNIC SAYING THAT IT WOULD REACH ITS INITIAL CAPACITY OF 8 000 FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT STUDENTS IN 1994-95 WITH POTENTIAL FOR EXPANSION TO ACCOMMODATE A FURTHER 5 500 FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT STUDENTS.

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ON REHABILITATION, HE SAID THAT REGULATIONS ON ACCESS FOR THE DISABLED TO BUILDINGS WERE MADE BY THE GOVERNOR IN COUNCIL

ON OCTOBER 23. THEY WOULD COME INTO EFFECT IN RESPECT OF BUILDINGS FOR WHICH PLANS ARE SUBMITTED TOR APPROVAL, OR FOR WHICH CONSENT TO COMMENCE WORK IS SOUGHT, ON AUGUST 1, 1985. A PUBLICITY CAMPAIGN WOULD BE LAUNCHED IN 1985/86 TO PROMOTE PUBLIC AWARENESS AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE PROBLEMS OF THE HANDICAPPED, PARTICULAR THE MENTALLY ILL.

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THERE ARE NO PLANS FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT IN HONG KONG OF A CENTRAL PROVIDENT FUND, SAID MR HENDERSON. SUCH A FUND NEEDS TO BE VIEWED OUTSIDE A PURELY SOCIAL SECURITY CONTEXT IN THE CONTEXT OF LABOUR POLICY. HE QUESTIONED WHETHER EMPLOYEES OR EMPLOYERS WOULD BE PREPARED TO ACCEPT THE LEVEL OF CONTRIBUTIONS NECESSARY FOR A VIABLE CENTRAL PROVIDENT FUND. IN SINGAPORE THESE COULD AMOUNT TO 25 PER CENT OF WAGES FROM EACH SIDE.

HOWEVER, THERE WOULD BE NO OBJECTION TO A WORKING GROUP BEING SET UP TO EXAMINE PROPOSALS FOR SUCH A FUND SHOULD THERE BE IN FUTURE WIDESPREAD SUPPORT FOR S CH A SCHEME.

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