XN000022-1986-07-05 — Page 10

SATURDAY, JULY 5, 1986

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IMPORTANCE OF MAC'S STRESSED

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MUTUAL AID COMMITTEES (MAC'S) ARE THE CORNERSTONE OF DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION THROUGH WHICH THE GOVERNMENT CAN KEEP ITS FINGERS ON THE PULSE OF LOCAL COMMUNITIES, YUEN LONG DISTRICT OFFICER, MR JAMES WILSON, SAID.

THIS WAS THE MESSAGE, HE ADDED, HE HAD BEEN BRINGING ACROSS SINCE HE STARTED HIS EVENING VISIT EVERY THURSDAYS TO MAC'S AND OWNERS CORPORATIONS IN THE DISTRICT TWO MONTHS AGO.

+ ALTHOUGH THE DISTRICT OFFICE IS IN CLOSE AND CONSTANT CONTACT WITH THE MAC'S, CALLING ON THEM IN THE EVENING HAS ENABLED ME AND THE DISTRICT OFFICE TO SEE HOW THEY ACTUALLY OPERATE SINCE MOST MAC ACTIVITIES ARE CARRIED OUT AFTER MEMBERS RETURN HOME FROM WORK.

+MORE IMPORTANTLY, IT ALLOWS US TO HAVE MORE IN-DEPTH DISCUSSIONS ON LOCAL ISSUES, HE SAID.

MR WILSON SAID THAT SINCE MAC MEMBERS WERE IN CLOSE TOUCH WITH RESIDENTS OF THEIR OWN BUILDINGS, THEY WERE IN AN IDEAL POSITION TO REFLECT THE VIEWS AND CONCERN OF THE PEOPLE, NOT ONLY ON LOCAL AFFAIRS, BUT ALSO ON GOVERNMENT POLICIES IN GENERAL.

AT PRESENT, THERE ARE 194 MAC'S AND 26 OWNERS CORPORATIONS IN YUEN LONG AND THE NUMBER IS EXPECTED TO GROW AS THE DISTRICT TRANSFORMS FROM A RURAL AREA INTO A SATELLITE TOWN WITH MORE AND MORE BUILDINGS COMING UP EVERY DAY.

PAMPHLET EXPLAINS LANGUAGE POLICY TO PARENTS

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AN INFORMATION PAMPHLET HAS BEEN PRODUCED BY THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT TO HELP PARENTS OF SECONDARY SCHOOL PUPILS OBTAIN A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE POLICY ON ENCOURAGING WIDER USE OF CHINESE AS THE TEACHING MEDIUM.

THE PAMPHLET, ENTITLED +INFORMATION FOR PARENTS ON THE USE OF CHINESE AS THE TEACHING MEDIUM IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS+, IS BEING DISTRIBUTED TO 400 000 PARENTS THROUGH THEIR CHILDREN IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS.

IT EXPLAINS HOW THE POLICY ON THE MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION CAME INTO BEING, MEASURES TO BE TAKEN TO ENCOURAGE SCHOOLS TO ADOPT WIDER USE OF CHINESE WITHOUT SACRIFICING PUPILS' ENGLISH STANDARD, AND HOW PARENTS MAY CONVEY THEIR VIEWS ON THE ISSUE TO SCHOOLS.

/KEY FEATURES

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