XN000022-1986-01-23 — Page 14

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 1986

+ IN RECENT YEARS, SCHOOLS HAVE BECOME MORE INVOLVED IN ALL KINDS OF COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES, SAID MR JONES.

+IN PARTICULAR, SCHOOL PRINCIPALS HAVE PLAYED AN INCREASING IMPORTANT ROLE IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND MANY PRINCIPALS ARE ALREADY MEMBERS OF THE DISTRICT BOARD, AREA COMMITTEES, LOCAL DISTRICT COUNCILS FOR ARTS AND CULTURE, RECREATION AND SPORTS AND WELFARE FOR THE ELDERLY.+

THE KOWLOON CITY DISTRICT BOARD HAS 28 MEMBERS, NINE OF WHOM ARE EITHER SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS, PRINCIPALS OR TEACHERS.

THE KOWLOON CITY DISTRICT, WITH OVER 170 SCHOOLS, HAS THE LARGEST NUMBER OF SCHOOLS IN ANY OF THE 19 ADMINISTRATIVE DISTRICTS IN HONG KONG.

THESE INCLUDE 79 SECONDARY SCHOOLS, 51 PRIMARY SCHOOLS AND 41 KINDERGARTENS. SOME 70 SCHOOL PRINCIPALS HAVE JOINED THE COMMITTEE.

MR JONES SAID IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT THAT THE GOVERNMENT, THROUGH THE DISTRICT OFFICE, ESTABLISHED FORMAL LINKS WITH SCHOOLS IN ORDER TO BROADEN ITS LIAISON NETWORK IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY.

IT WAS HOPED THAT THE COMMITTEE WOULD PROVIDE AN INFORMAL FORUM FOR SCHOOL PRINCIPALS IN THE DISTRICT, THROUGH REGULAR MEETINGS, TO DISCUSS MATTERS AND PROBLEMS OF MUTUAL CONCERN, HE SAID.

MR JONES SAID THE DISTRICT OFFICE AND THE DISTRICT BOARD WOULD FOCUS ITS COMMUNITY BUILDING EFFORTS ON CIVIC EDUCATION IN 1986 AND SCHOOL PRINCIPALS SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED TO GIVE FULL SUPPORT TO IT.

IN RELATION TO THE FORTHCOMING URBAN COUNCIL ELECTION ON MARCH 6, MR JONES URGED COMMITTEE MEMBERS TO GIVE THE IR FULL SUPPORT BY CASTING THEIR VOTES AND TO ENCOURAGE THE IR COLLEAGUES AND FRIENDS TO DO THE SAME.

PRESENT AT TODAY'S INAUGURATION MEETING INCLUDED A PRINCIPAL ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF THE CITY AND NEW TERRITORIES ADMINISTRATION, MR C.M. LEUNG CHAIRMAN OF KOWLOON CITY DISTRICT COMMUNITY BUILDING COMMITTEE. THE REV PETER CHOW; CHAIRMAN AND VICE-CHAIRMAN OF THE KOWLOON CITY DISTRICT SCHOOL PRINCIPALS' LIAISON COMMITTEE, MR LOT TING-SHI IN AND MR KO CHOK-KAI.

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