XN000022-1986-10-29 — Page 49

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1986

+ IN 1985, THE SSPA PROPOSALS WERE PUT TO THE BOARD OF EDUCATION AND, IN THE LIGHT OF THE BOARD'S ADVICE, FURTHER COMMENTS WERE SOUGHT FROM THE VARIOUS SCHOOLS COUNCILS AND ASSOCIATIONS AND THE SSPA CENTRAL COMMITTEE AND DISTRICT COMMITTEES IN WHICH ALL PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS ARE REPRESENTED,+ MR BRIDGE SAID.

+ IN THE LIGHT OF THESE FURTHER COMMENTS, THE BOARD ADVISED EARLIER THIS YEAR THAT THE PROPOSALS SHOULD BE IMPLEMENTED AND A CIRCULAR WAS ISSUED. IT IS THE RESPONSE TO THIS CIRCULAR WHICH HAS LED TO THE BOARD'S FURTHER CONSIDERATION OF THE MATTER.+

MR BRIDGE SAID THAT THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT HAD IN THE MEANTIME, ORGANISED THREE REGIONAL SEMINARS FOR THE HEADS OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS AND THE VIEWS EXPRESSED AT THE SE SEMINARS WOULD BE REPORTED TO THE BOARD.

AS TO THE PERIOD OF NOTICE GIVEN TO SCHOOLS IN CONNECTION WITH THE PROPOSED REACTIVATION OF THE FEEDER AND NOMINATED SCHOOL SCHEMES, MR BRIDGE SAID SCHOOLS INTERESTED IN FORMING NEW LINKS UNDER THESE SCHEMES WITH EFFECT FROM SEPTEMBER 1989 WERE ORIGINALLY ASKED IN JULY TO ADVISE THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF THEIR INTENTION BY THE END OF OCTOBER THIS YEAR.

+HOWEVER, AS THE PROPOSAL IS BEING RECONSIDERED BY THE BOARD IN NOVEMBER. THE SCHOOLS HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THIS DEADLINE NO LONGER APPLIES,+ HE ADDED.

SUICIDE RATE AMONG IMMIGRANTS SLIGHTLY LOWER'

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WHILE THE NUMBER OF SUICIDES COMMITTED BY IMMIGRANTS FROM CHINA WAS WORRYING, THEIR SUICIDE RATE SEEMED IF ANYTHING TO BE SLIGHTLY LOWER THAN THAT FOR THE POPULATION AS A WHOLE, WITH 21 CASES OR FIVE PER CENT OF ALL CASES IN THE FIRST NINE MONTHS OF THIS YEAR.

THIS WAS STATED BY THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, THE HON DAVID JEAFFRESON IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY WEDNESDAY) IN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON LIU LIT-FOR.

MR JE AFFRESON SAID THAT IN 1984 THERE WERE 36 SUICIDES BY THESE IMMIGRANTS, REPRESENTING SEVEN PER CENT OF ALL SUICIDE CASES.

+IN 1985, IT WAS 37, FIVE PER CENT OF ALL CASES,+ HE SAID.

/ON WHAT