XN000022-1986-01-08 — Page 11

JEDH Mum, JANJARY 8, 1986

HE NOTED THAT IN RECENT YEARS WE HAD SEEN A MOVE IN THIS DIRECTION WITHIN STANDARD SECONDARY SCHOOLS AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF PREVOCATIONAL SCHOOLS WHICH PLACED A PARTICULAR EMPHASIS ON SUBJECTS OF THIS KIND.

+THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS APPROACH IS BOUND TO BE A GRADUAL ONE, HOWEVER, NOT SIMPLY BECAUSE OF THE LIMITATION OF FACILITIES WITHIN INDIVIDUAL SCHOOLS BUT ALSO BECAUSE OF THE VALUE ATTACHED BY MANY PARENTS TO ATTAINMENT IN ACADEMIC SUBJECTS,+ MR PAGLIARI SAID.

FOR STUDENTS WHO FIND IT DIFFICULT TO COPE WITH THE NORMAL CURRICULUM BECAUSE OF LIMITED ABILITY, INADEQUATE MOTIVATION OR PERSONALITY OR BEHAVIOURAL PROBLEMS, THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT HAD PROVIDED A WIDE RANGE OF SUPPORTING SERVICES TO HELP THEM, HE SAID.

+THESE INCLUDE SUCH MEASURES AS PROVISION OF REMEDIAL TEACHING AND PROVISION OF ADVISORY SERVICES TO SCHOOLS, CHILDREN AND PARENTS,+ HE SAID.

SAI KUNG WATER ACCEPTABLE FOR FISH CULTURE

****

THE QUALITY OF WATER IN YUNG SHUE AU, SAI KUNG, IN TERMS OF SALINITY, OXYGEN AND NUTRIENTS WAS ACCEPTABLE FOR FISH CULTURE, THE SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE, THE HON JOHN CHAMBERS, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

THIS WAS DETERMINED FROM PERIODIC ANALYSES OF WATER SAMPLES CONDUCTED IN THE AREA SINCE 1982, HE SAID.

IN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY DR THE HON HO KAM-FAI, HE SAID THAT PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION SHOWED THAT GILL DAMAGE CAUSED BY PARASITIC INFECTION WAS INVOLVED IN THE DEATH OF SOME 38 TONNES OF FISH THERE IN DECEMBER 1985.

+ IT IS THOUGHT THAT DIETARY IMBALANCE, A SUDDEN TEMPERATURE DROP AND EXCEPTIONALLY STAGNANT TIDAL CONDITIONS WERE FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE MORTALITY, HE EXPLAINED.

MR CHAMBERS SAID THAT FURTHER INVESTIGATION WAS IN PROGRESS. MEANWHILE, THE FISH FARMERS HAD BEEN PERMITTED TO RETURN TEMPORARILY TO YIM TIN TSAI EAST, WHERE MANY OF THEM USED TO FARM BEFORE MOVING TO YUNG SHUE AU.

OTHER THAN

+NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE FOR THESE FISH FARMERS - THE USUAL EXTENSION SERVICES - IS PLANNED AT THIS STAGE,+ MR CHAMBERS ADDED.

/11