XN000022-1985-10-04 — Page 7

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 4, 1985

MR CHAN SAID THE OPERATION OF THE FUND IN THE PAST SIX MONTHS HAD ALSO DISSIPATED THE IR EARLIER WORRY THAT THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE FUND MIGHT LEAD TO ABUSE BY WORKERS.

+THERE WERE SUGGESTIONS THAT WORKERS, BEING CERTAIN THAT THEY COULD GET THEIR WAGES BACK FROM THE FUND, MIGHT FORCE EMPLOYERS WHO WERE IN TEMPORARY HARDSHIP TO WIND UP THEIR BUSINESS.

+HOWEVER, OUR EXPERIENCE SO FAR INDICATES THAT THIS IS NOT THE CASE, HE ADDED.

FROM APRIL 1 TO SEPTEMBER 30, THERE WERE ABOUT 2 900 APPLICATIONS FOR PAYMENTS FROM THE FUND, INVOLVING A TOTAL OF $6.5 MILLION, THESE FIGURES WERE MUCH LOWER THAN THE CASES HANDLED BY THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT IN THE SAME PERIOD DURING THE LAST TWO YEARS.

IN 1984, MR CHAN SAID, THE LABOUR RELATIONS DIVISION OF THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT HANDLED INSOLVENCY CASES INVOLVING MORE THAN 10 000 WORKERS AND THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF WAGES CLAIMED WAS ABOUT $30 MILLION.

1 500 EXPECTED TO ATTEND CIVIC EDUCATION SEMINARS

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THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT HAS ORGANISED A SERIES OF EIGHT SEMINARS OVER THE NEXT SIX SATURDAYS TO FAMILIARISE SCHOOL CIVIC EDUCATION CO-ORDINATORS WITH THE VARIOUS ACTIVITIES FOR THE PROMOTION OF CIVIC EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS.

MORE THAN 1 500 CO-ORDINATORS FROM SECONDARY AND PRIMARY SCHOOLS AND KINDERGARTENS HAVE APPLIED TO ATTEND THE SEMINARS, THE FIRST OF WHICH WILL BE HELD TOMORROW (SATURDAY) AT THE GRANTHAM COLLEGE OF EDUCATION IN KOWLOON.

OFFICERS FROM THE DEPARTMENT'S ADVISORY INSPECTORATE WILL FOCUS ON ACTIVITIES FOR THE PROMOTION OF CIVIC EDUCATION THROUGH THE FORMAL, INFORMAL AND HIDDEN CURRICULUM AS WELL AS THROUGH THE ETHOS OF THE SCHOOL.

THERE WILL ALSO BE AN OPEN FORUM FOR PARTICIPANTS TO AIR

MATERIAL GATHERED AT THE THE IR VIEWS AND TO EXCHANGE IDEAS. SEMINARS WILL BE PUBLISHED LATER FOR THE INFORMATION OF SCHOOLS.

THE SEMINARS WILL BE FOLLOWED BY 47 IN-SERVICE TRAINING COURSES AND WORKSHOPS FOR SUBJECT TEACHERS TO BE HELD BETWEEN NOVEMBER AND JUNE NEXT YEAR (1986) TO ENABLE THEM TO UNDERSTAND THE VARIOUS ASPECTS OF CIVIC EDUCATION THAT COULD BE TAUGHT THROUGH INDIVIDUAL SUBJECTS.

/THE COURSES