XN000022-1985-05-02 — Page 18

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THURSDAY, MAY 2, 1985

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NO RISE IN STUDENT DELINQUENCY

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A SURVEY CONDUCTED IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN 1983-84 SHOWS THAT THE LEVEL OF UNRULY AND DELINQUENT BEHAVIOUR AMONG STUDENTS HAD REMAINED STABLE AT AROUND FIVE TO EIGHT PER CENT AS COMPARED WITH THE FIRST SURVEY CONDUCTED IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR, MR Y.T. LI, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION SAID TODAY (THURSDAY).

MR LI IS ALSO CHAIRMAN OF THE STANDING COMMITTEE ON UNRULY AND DELINQUENT BEHAVIOUR IN SCHOOLS.

ANNOUNCING THE RESULT OF THE SECOND ROUND SURVEY, MR LI SAID THAT THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT WOULD CONTINUE TO OFFER ADVICE AND ASSISTANCE TO SCHOOLS IN DEALING WITH STUDENT BEHAVIOUR PROBLEMS.

IN ADDITION, HE SAID THAT A PAMPHLET HAD BEEN ISSUED TO ALL PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS ADVISING THEM OF THE RELEVANT SERVICES OFFERED BY DIFFERENT GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS. HE EXPRESSED THE HOPE THAT SCHOOL HEADS WOULD BRING THESE SERVICES TO THE ATTENTION OF PARENTS OF STUDENTS WHO MIGHT REQUIRE HELP.

TURNING BACK TO THE SURVEY REPORT, MR LI NOTED THAT THE BULK OF THE OFFENDERS WERE STILL BOYS, WITH A SLIGHT INCREASE IN THE PROPORTION OF GIRL OFFENDERS.

THE TOTAL NUMBER OF INCIDENTS REPORTED WAS 150 184, AND THIS SHOWED AN INCREASE OF 14.5 PER CENT OVER 1982-83.

+THIS IS MAINLY DUE TO A RISE IN THE NUMBER OF REPORTS CONCERNING HABITUAL LATENESS, MR LI SAID. HE EXPLAINED THAT THIS WAS BECAUSE OF A CHANGE IN THE SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE IN WHICH HABITUAL LATENESS WAS NOW LISTED AS A SEPARATE CATEGORY OF UNRULY BEHAVIOUR.

THE MAJORITY OF INCIDENTS (87 TO 89 PER CENT) WERE THE LESS SERIOUS UNRULY BEHAVIOUR, AND ONLY 11 TO 13 PER CENT WERE MORE SERIOUS CASES.

APART FROM HABITUAL LATENESS AND HABITUAL TRUANCY, ALL THE OTHER COMMON CATEGORIES OF UNRULY BEHAVIOUR SHOWED DECREASES WHEN COMPARED TO THE 1982-83 FIGURES.

MR LI SAID THAT THERE WAS NO PARTICULAR CHANGE IN THE AGE AND GRADE PATTERN OF THE OFFENDERS,

+OVER 75 PER CENT OF THE OFFENDERS ARE AGED FROM 13 TO 16, AND MORE THAN 50 PER CENT ARE FROM FORMS 1 AND 2, + HE SAID.

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