XN000022-1987-04-03 — Page 10

FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 1987

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COMMITMENT TO IMPROVE QUALITY, RANGE OF EDUCATION STRESSED

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TO EXPAND AND IMPROVE THE QUALITY AND RANGE OF OPPORTUNITIES IN THE EDUCATION SYSTEM HAS BEEN A LONG STANDING PRIME OBJECTIVE OF THE GOVERNMENT, THE DEPUTY CHIEF SECRETARY, MR JOHN CHAN, SAID TODAY (FRIDAY).

SPEAKING AT THE INAUGURATION CEREMONY OF THE STUDENT UNION OF THE CITY POLYTECHNIC OF HONG KONG, MR CHAN SAID THE GOVERNMENT'S DETERMINATION TO ACHIEVE THIS OBJECTIVE WAS APPARENT BY THE AMOUNT OF MONEY SPENT ON EDUCATION EACH YEAR.

EXPENDITURE ON EDUCATION INCREASED FROM $5 105 MILLION IN 1982-83 TO $9 758 MILLION IN 1987-88, REPRESENTING AN INCREASE FROM 14.3 PER CENT TO 18.3 PER CENT IN TERMS OF ITS SHARE OF GOVERNMENT'S TOTAL SPENDING.

+SOME 25 PER CENT OF THE ALLOCATION FOR THIS NEW FINANCIAL YEAR WILL BE SPENT ON TERTIARY EDUCATION, HE SAID.

MR CHAN SAID THAT BY THE END OF THE CENTURY, THERE WOULD BE 8 800 FIRST-YEAR FIRST-DEGREE PLACES IN TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS.

+THE COMPLETION OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CITY POLYTECHNIC IS DOUBTLESSLY ANOTHER MAJOR STEP FORWARD IN THE PROVISION OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN HONG KONG.

+SO FAR TWO DEGREE COURSES HAVE BEEN INTRODUCED IN THE CITY POLYTECHNIC, BUT IT IS PLANNED THAT DEGREE COURSES WILL, IN TIME, BE OFFERED TO ABOUT 30 PER CENT OF ITS TOTAL STUDENT POPULATION, + HE SAID.

MR CHAN SAID THAT THE GOVERNMENT ALSO RECOGNISED THE NEED TO INVEST FURTHER IN THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND THE CAPACITY FOR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT AT TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS.

+IT IS OF PRIME IMPORTANCE THAT HONG KONG NOT ONLY HAS A SUFFICIENT POOL OF TRAINED MANAGERS AND PROFESSIONALS, BUT ALSO THE EXPERTISE TO ENABLE INDUSTRIES IN HONG KONG TO COMPETE WITH THE REST OF THE WORLD IN THE FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY.

IN THIS REGARD, PLANS ARE IN HAND TO INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF RESEARCH BEING UNDERTAKEN IN OUR INSTITUTIONS AND SOME $45 MILLION HAS BEEN SET ASIDE FOR THIS PURPOSE IN THE CURRENT TRIENNIUM,+ HE SAID.

FOR STUDENTS WISHING TO UNDERTAKE RESEARCH ACTIVITIES UPON GRADUATION EITHER IN HONG KONG OR OVERSEAS, MR CHAN SAID THAT FUNDS WERE MADE AVAILABLE TO THEM IN THE FORM OF A WIDE RANGE OF SCHOLARSHIPS.

HE ALSO SAID HE BELIEVED THAT A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF SCHOLARSHIPS UNDER THE SIR EDWARD YOUDE MEMORIAL FUND WOULD BE DESIGNED TO ENCOURAGE STUDENTS TO TAKE UP RESEARCH WORKS IN FIELDS RELATED TO HIGH TECHNOLOGY.

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