XN000022-1986-03-27 — Page 4

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THURSDAY, MARCH 27, 1986

AS A MATTER OF FACT, DR HO SAID, THIS FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE SCHEME HAD BEEN PROPOSED BY SOME ASSOCIATIONS OF KINDERGARTEN TEACHERS AS THE MOST PRACTICABLE AND IMMEDIATE MEANS TO BRING ABOUT A QUALITATIVE IMPROVEMENT TO KINDERGARTEN EDUCATION.

+FURTHERMORE, THIS SCHEME, IF IMPLEMENTED, WILL MAKE A SIGNIFICANT STEP FORWARD IN BRINGING KINDERGARTEN EDUCATION WITHIN THE AIDED SECTOR, AS RECOMMENDED BY THE PANEL OF VISITORS, + HE ADDED.

AS FOR PRIMARY EDUCATION, DR HO RECALLED THAT IN THE LAST BUDGET DEBATE. HE HAD PROPOSED A BACHELOR OF EDUCATION DEGREE COURSE IN PRIMARY EDUCATION TO TRAIN TEACHERS AND PRINCIPALS FOR LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT ROLES IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS.

HE ASKED THE SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER TO REVIEW THE POSITION OF THE PROPOSAL HAVING REGARD TO ITS EARLY IMPLEMENTATION, IF POSSIBLE, IN THE COMING ACADEMIC YEAR.

ON INDUSTRIAL SAFETY, HE SAID GOVERNMENT HAD APPARENTLY RECOGNISED THE IMPORTANCE OF THE FACTORY INSPECTORATE, AND HAD PROMISED ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TO EXPAND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE INSPECTORATE.

HOWEVER, THIS POLICY HAD NOT BEEN FOLLOWED THROUGH,

OBSERVED.

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DR HO NOTED THAT IN RECENT YEARS THE WORKLOAD OF THE INSPECTORATE HAD INCREASED MANIFOLD AS A RESULT OF MORE SAFETY LEGISLATION AND MAJOR AMENDMENTS TO EXISTING SAFETY REGULATIONS BEING ENACTED, BUT STAFFING IN THE INSPECTORATE HAD BEEN ON THE DECLINE DURING THE SAME PERIOD.

A PLAN IN 1978 TO GET THE STRENGTH OF THE INSPECTORATE UP TO 250 IN 1984 WAS SUSPENDED IN 1982, RESULTING IN THE ESTABLISHMENT STANDING AT AROUND 200, HE ADDED.

+WITH THESE TIGHT MANPOWER RESOURCES, IT IS NEXT TO IMPOSSIBLE TO EXPECT THE FACTORY INSPECTORATE TO UPHOLD THE IR STANDARD OF SERVICE AND TO PERFORM THE IR ENFORCEMENT DUTIES TO A LEVEL OF SATISFACTION, HE SAID.

+NOW WITH OUR BUDGETARY CONDITIONS IMPROVING AND THE CIVIL SERVICE RECRUITMENT RELAXED, I URGE THAT THE GOVERNMENT PLACE TOP PRIORITY ON REINSTATING THE EXPANSION PLAN OF THE FACTORY INSPECTORATE, AND MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO ACHIEVE THE ORIGINAL TARGET OF 250 INSPECTORS IN THE NEAREST FUTURE,+ DR HO SAID.

+WE MUST BEAR IN MIND THAT EXPENDITURE INCURRED IN PROMOTING INDUSTRIAL SAFETY GENERATES IMMEDIATE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DIVIDENDS NOT ONLY FOR THE WORKERS AND THEIR FAMILIES, BUT ALSO FOR THE EMPLOYERS AND THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE, HE ADDED.

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