XN000022-1985-12-09 — Page 10

MONDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1985

9

ON

LAST YEAR, MORE THAN 621 000 PEOPLE SOUGHT ASSISTANCE OR ADVICE FROM THE POLICE EVERY MONTH MORE THAN 3 000 YOUNG PEOPLE BECAME NEW MEMBERS OF THE JUNIOR POLICE CALL, WHICH WAS NOW ONE OF THE LARGEST AND MOST ACTIVE YOUTH ORGANISATIONS IN HONG KONG; AND HONG KONG'S CITIZENS' ARREST RATE NOW RANKED AMONG THE HIGHEST IN THE WORLD.

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE, MR ANNING ASSURED CONFERENCE DELEGATES THAT A FACTOR THAT WOULD NOT CHANGE, WAS THE IMPORTANCE OF THE POLICE FORCE IN THE DAILY LIFE OF HONG KONG.

+ IN THE QUEST FOR STABILITY AND PROSPERITY, IT MUST NOT BE FORGOTTEN THAT IT IS UPON THE POLICE FORCE THAT STABILITY ULTIMATELY RESTS AND THE CHANCES OF PROSPERITY WITHOUT STABILITY ARE SLIM.+

HE SAID HE BELIEVED THE POLICE FORCE WAS IN EXCELLENT SHAPE TO MEET THE WHATEVER CHALLENGES LAY AHEAD.

BILINGUALISM POSES A DAUNTING TASK SIR DAVID ******

HONG KONG FACED A DAUNTING TASK OF ENSURING THAT YOUNG PEOPLE DEVELOPED SKILL AND CONFIDENCE IN ENGLISH AND CHINESE, LANGUAGES WHICH WERE A WORLD APART - ONE WITH ITS ORIGIN IN INDO-EUROPEAN, THE OTHER IN THE SINITIC GROUP, THE CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR DAVID AKERS-JONES, SAID TODAY (MONDAY).

SPEAKING AT A SEMINAR ORGANISED BY THE ENGLISH SPEAKING UNION, SIR DAVID SAID THAT INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATION WAS ESSENTIAL TO HONG KONG.

+WE ARE DEPENDENT - AS A CENTRE OF INDUSTRY, TRADE AND INTERNATIONAL FINANCE UPON OUR LINKS WITH THE REST OF THE WORLD, WITHOUT ENGLISH THESE LINKS WOULD WITHER AND DIE.

+AT THE SAME TIME, THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG ARE VERY MUCH AWARE OF THE IR ROOTS WHICH THEY SHARE WITH CHINA AND LANUGAGE IS A VITAL ELEMENT OF THAT HERITAGE, HE SAID.

SIR DAVID SAID THAT AN ACTIVE POLICY OF BILINGUALISM SHOULD BE PURSUED AS IT WAS VITAL TO HONG KONG'S VERY EXISTENCE.

+NOT A TOKEN BILINGUAL ISM, BUT A COMMITTED EFFORT TO ATTAIN HIGH STANDARDS OF COMPETENCE IN BOTH LANGUAGES, HE SAID.

+MOST SCHOOLS TEACH IN ENGLISH AND CHINESE, USING ENGLISH TEXTBOOKS. THIS IS A SITUATION WHICH CLEARLY DOES NOT DO JUSTICE TO EITHER LANGUAGE.

/+AFTER TAKING

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