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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 1987

WINNERS OF ESSAY COMPETITION AWARDED PRIZES

TWELVE

WINNERS OF THE HONG KONG ROUND OF THE ROYAL COMMONWEALTH SOCIETY ESSAY COMPETITION 1986/87 TODAY (WEDNESDAY) RECEIVED THEIR BOOK PRIZES FROM THE ACTING DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION,

OF DAVID LAN, AND THE DIRECTOR

THE HONG KONG GENERAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, MR JIMMY MCGREGOR, AT A CEREMONY AT THE LEE GARDENS HOTEL.

MR

THE COMPETITION 19 HELD ANNUALLY BY THE ROYAL COMMONWEALTH SOCIETY TO ENCOURAGE COMMONWEALTH STUDIES AMONG STUDENTS

19. UNDER THE BEST THREE ENTRIES IN BACH OF THE FOUR CLASSES WERK SELECTED BY A PANEL OF LOCAL JUDGES.

THE WINNERS WERE AWARDED BOOK PRIZES AMOUNTING TO $4,200 DONATED BY THE HONG KONG GENERAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND THEIR ENTRIES SENT TO LONDON TO ENTER THE INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION.

MR SPEAKING AT THE PRIZE PRESENTATION CEREMONY, LOCAL COMPETITION THIS YEAR RECEIVED GOOD RESPONSE.

LAN SAID THE

"HONG KONG STUDENTS HAVE ALWAYS EXCELLED THEMSELVES IN THE COMMONWEALTH ESSAY COMPETITION WHICH ATTRACTS EVERY YEAR ENTRIES SCHOOL CHILDREN OF MORE THAN 30 COMMONWEALTH COUNTRIES MAJORITY ARE PREDOMINANTLY ENGLISH-SPEAKING," MR LAN SAID.

FROM

OF

WHICH

THE

IN

"RECORDS SHOW THAT OUR STUDENTS' NAMES HAVE ALWAYS APPEARED

GOOD TRACK THE LISTS' OF MERITORIOUS AWARDS AND OUR

RECORD IN THE CONTEST PROVIDES CONCRETE EVIDENCE TO SHOW THAT THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE STANDARDS OF OUR STUDENTS ARE GOOD," MR LAN SAID.

OF

IN THIS CONNECTION, MR LAN SAID THE GOVERNMENT WAS FIRMLY COMMITTED TO THE TASK

STRENGTHENING LOCAL STUDENTS' BILINGUAL ABILITY AND WOULD ATTACH EQUAL IMPORTANCE IN PROMOTING THE TEACHING OP ENGLISH AND CHINESE LANGUAGES IN SCHOOLS.

APART FROM LAUNCHING A TWO-YEAR PILOT

EXPATRIATE

ENGLISH

TEACHERS

OF

IN

TRACHERS SCHEME AND ENRICHING THE REFRESHER COURSE FOR LOCAL

DEPARTMENT TOOK A NUMBER OF ENGLISH, MR LAN SAID THE EDUCATION MEASURES TO ENCOURAGE SCHOOLS TO ADOPT

WIDER USE OF CHINESE

TEACHING.

A

THE INTRODUCTION OF A HE SAID THESE MEASURES INCLUDED

CASH CHINESK AWARD SCHEME TO ENCOURAGE PUBLISHERS TO PRODUCE GOOD QUALITY

TO SCHOOLS TEXTBOOKS AND ISSUING HANDBOOKS

CONTAINING THE CHINESE TRANSLATIONS OF TECHNICAL TERMS COMMONLY USED IN 19 SCHOOL SUBJECTS.

LAN

FROM SAID RESOURCES

TO COMPENSATE FOR THE REDUCED EXPOSURE TO ENGLISH ARISING

MR MEDIUM, A SWITCH TO THE USE OF CHINESE AS THE TEACHING PUBLIC SECTOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS WOULD BE

ADDITIONAL FROM 1988 ONWARDS TO STRENGTHEN THE TEACHING OF ENGLISH.

GIVEN

AR LAN