XN000022-1987-02-17 — Page 11

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 1987

10

SURVEY CONFIRMS NEED FOR CIVIC EDUCATION

*****

ABOUT 80 PER CENT OF SOME 1 000 PEOPLE INTERVIEWED IN AN OPINION SURVEY ON CIVIC EDUCATION BELIEVE THERE IS A NEED TO PROMOTE CIVIC EDUCATION IN HONG KONG.

THE RESPONDENTS CONSIDERED THAT THE MOST IMPORTANT OBJECTIVES OF THE CIVIC EDUCATION CAMPAIGN SHOULD BE TO ENABLE THE PUBLIC TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THEIR CIVIC RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES AS WELL AS HONG KONG'S POLITICAL SYSTEM AND SOCIAL PROBLEMS.

THE OPINION SURVEY WAS COMMISSIONED BY THE COMMITTEE ON THE PROMOTION OF CIVIC EDUCATION AND CONDUCTED BY THE AGB MCNAIR HONG KONG LIMITED.

THE AIM OF THE STUDY WAS TO ASCERTAIN THE LEVEL OF CIVIC AWARENESS AND PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN CIVIC AFFAIRS, PUBLIC PERCEPTION OF CIVIC EDUCATION AND RELATED ISSUES, CHAIRMAN OF THE COMMITTEE, MRS RITA FAN, SAID AT A PRESS CONFERENCE TODAY (TUESDAY).

THE SURVEY INTERVIEWED A TOTAL OF 1 008 INDIVIDUALS, AGED 15 TO 64, SELECTED AT RANDOM FROM A WIDE CROSS-SECTION OF THE POPULATION FROM NOVEMBER 4 TO DECEMBER 4, 1986, SHE ADDED.

THE FINDINGS SHOWED THAT PEOPLE'S AWARENESS OF MUTUAL AID COMMITTEES, OWNER'S CORPORATIONS, DISTRICT BOARDS, URBAN COUNCIL, REGIONAL COUNCIL AND OMELCO WAS HIGH.

RESPONDENTS BELIEVED THAT PARENTS SHOULD PLAY A ROLE IN EDUCATING THEIR CHILDREN ON CIVIC AWARENESS, AND THE ENHANCEMENT OF CIVIC AWARENESS AND PARTICIPATION OF THE PUBLIC WOULD BE CONDUCIVE TO A REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT IN HONG KONG.

ON ELECTIONS IN HONG KONG, IT WAS FOUND THAT ALTHOUGH AWARENESS AND INTEREST IN DISTRICT BOARD ELECTIONS WAS KEEN. ACTUAL PARTICIPATION BY RESPONDENTS AGED OVER 21 WAS FAIRLY LOW.

BUT THE MAJORITY (OVER 89 PER CENT) OF THOSE WHO HAD REGISTERED OR WOULD REGISTER FOR THE DISTRICT BOARD ELECTIONS EXPRESSED A WILLINGNESS TO VOTE IN THE NEXT ELECTION.

THE SURVEY ALSO DISCOVERED THAT ABOUT HALF (56 PER CENT) OF THE RESPONDENTS INDICATED THAT THEY WOULD VOICE THEIR OPINIONS ON ISSUES OF PUBLIC INTEREST.

CLOSE TO TWO-THIRDS (64 PER CENT) OF THE RESPONDENTS HAD HEARD OF +CIVIC EDUCATION+ AND THE MAJORITY ENDORSED THE OBJECTIVES FORMULATED BY THE COMMITTEE ON THE PROMOTION OF CIVIC EDUCATION.

/MASS MEDIA