XN000022-1987-05-21 — Page 5

THURSDAY, MAY 21, 1987

EDUCATION CRUCIAL TO HK FUTURE

*****

GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURE ON EDUCATION HAD INCREASED SUBSTANTIALLY FROM JUST OVER $5 BILLION IN 1982-83 TO NEARLY $10 BILLION THIS YEAR, THE GOVERNOR, SIR DAVID WILSON, SAID TODAY (THURSDAY).

SPEAKING AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF HO TIM BUILDING OF THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY, SIR DAVID SAID IT WAS A CRUCIAL TASK TO EDUCATE THE TERRITORY'S YOUNGER GENERATION, TO TRAIN AND EQUIP THEM TO MEET THE CHALLENGES OF TOMORROW.

HE SAID THE GOVERNMENT'S PLANS TOWARDS THIS END WERE AMBITIOUS.

+THEY MUST BE AMBITIOUS IF WE ARE TO DEVELOP THE FULL POTENTIAL OF OUR YOUNG PEOPLE AND TO BUILD FOR OUR FUTURE,+ SIR DAVID SAID.

HE POINTED OUT THAT HONG KONG HAD NO MATERIAL RESOURCES BUT TALENTED PEOPLE, ADDING THAT UPON THE EDUCATION OF THE PEOPLE OF THIS TERRITORY THE FATE OF THIS TERRITORY DEPENDS+.

IN THE TERTIARY SECTOR, SIR DAVID SAID THESE PLANS INCLUDED THE CONTINUED EXPANSION OF THE EXISTING TWO UNIVERSITIES TO PROVIDE 10 000 DEGREE PLACES EACH BY THE TURN OF THE CENTURY: THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A THIRD UNIVERSITY WITH SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, MANAGEMENT AND BUSINESS STUDIES: AND THE PROVISION OF DEGREE PROGRAMMES AT THE TWO POLYTECHNICS AND THE BAPTIST COLLEGE.

+WHEN THESE DEVELOPMENTS ARE COMPLETED, THE NUMBER OF FIRST YEAR FIRST DEGREE PLACES WILL INCREASE TO 8 800, MORE THAN DOUBLE THE EXISTING NUMBER,+ HE SAID.

NOTING THAT PROVIDING EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES AT THE TERTIARY LEVEL WAS INEVITABLY EXPENSIVE, SIR DAVID SAID GIVEN THE CONSTRAINTS ON THE GOVERNMENT'S OVERALL BUDGET, IT WAS IMPORTANT TO ENSURE THAT PUBLIC FUNDS WERE SPENT IN AREAS WHERE THE NEED WAS THE GREATEST.

HE ADDED THAT WITH EDUCATION ALREADY ACCOUNTING FOR THE LARGEST SHARE OF THE GOVERNMENT'S BUDGET, CONTRIBUTIONS FROM MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY TO IMPROVE LOCAL EDUCATIONAL SERVICES WERE MORE THAN WELCOME.

SIR DAVID SAID HE WAS GLAD TO SEE THE SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THE NEW HO TIM BUILDING WHICH WAS A JOINT VENTURE PROJECT+ FUNDED BY BOTH THE GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE DONORS.

TURNING TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY, SIR DAVID SAID THAT SINCE IT WAS ESTABLISHED IN OCTOBER 1963, THE UNIVERSITY HAD CONTRIBUTED SIGNIFICANTLY TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN HONG KONG.

/HE SAID