XN000022-1987-11-05 — Page 12

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 1987

EDUCATION AN IMPORTANT FOUNDATION FOR SOCIETY

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HONG KONG WILL NEED ΤΟ PROVIDE AN ADEQUATE EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION IN THE NEXT 10 YEARS FOR A SOCIETY WHICH WILL BE BASED ON THE CONCEPT OF "HONG KONG PEOPLE GOVERNING HONG KONG", DR THE HON DANIEL TSE SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (THURSDAY).

SPEAKING DURING THE DEBATE ON THE GOVERNOR'S POLICY ADDRESS, DR TSE DESCRIBED MANPOWER AS THE IMPORTANT ASSET "ON WHICH OUR EXISTENCE DEPENDS AND WITH WHICH WE DEVELOP OUR ECONOMY".

IN THE EARLY DAYS BEFORE THE 1960'S DR TSE SAID, HONG KONG'S EDUCATION SYSTEM HAD DEVELOPED IN A HAPHAZARD WAY, AND THOUGH SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TOOK PLACE IN THE 1970'S, SYSTEM-WIDE PLANNING WAS STILL LACKING.

"IF OUR PRESENT EDUCATION STRUCTURE STILL PREVENTS US FROM PLANNING OUR FUTURE EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ACCORDING TO THE CLEARLY DEFINED SOCIETAL GOALS ON A SYSTEM-WIDE BASIS, THEN IT IS TIME FOR

US TO FIND OUT WHY AND TO CLEAR THE OBSTACLES, HE SAID.

"OTHERWISE, NO MATTER HOW GOOD 19 THE PROMISE OF THE SINO-BRITISH JOINT DECLARATION, OR HOW SECURELY IS GUARANTEE ENSHRINED IN THE BASIC LAW, OR HOW WELL DEVELOPED FUTURE POLITICAL SYSTEM, IT WOULD STILL BE VERY DIFFICULT REALISE THE IDEAL OF HONG KONG PEOPLE GOVERNING HONG KONG'.

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THE LEGAL IS OUR FOR US ΤΟ

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DR TSE SAID THE LLEWELLYN COMMITTEE, IN ITS REPORT IN 1982 ENTITLED "A PERSPECTIVE ON EDUCATION IN HONG KONG", MADE A SERIES OF RECOMMENDATIONS TO REMEDY DEFECTS IN THE EDUCATION SYSTEM,

"FIVE YEARS HAVE PASSED; IT IS NOW TIME FOR US TO HAVE AN INTERIM ASSESSMENT TO SEE WHETHER THE DEFECTS WHICH HAD BEEN POINTED OUT BY THE COMMITTEE IN OUR EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM HAVE BEEN CORRECTED,' HE SAID.

H

"I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT AN ASSESSMENT OF THIS KIND AT THIS TIME IS VERY CRUCIAL BECAUSE THERE ARE ONLY 10 YEARS BEFORE 1997.

DR TSE SAID THE NEW DEVELOPMENTS MENTIONED BY THE GOVERNOR IN HIS POLICY ADDRESS ALSO REPRESENTED A CHALLENGE TO THE PRESENT EDUCATIONAL STRUCTURE, AND PROVIDED THE BEST REASON AND A GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY FOR AN OVERHAUL.

THE

UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND AND WOULD BRING ABOUT A

HE SAID THE ESTABLISHMENT OF TECHNOLOGY HAD A UNIQUE EDUCATION MISSION HIGHER LEVEL OF SCIENTIFIC AND TECHOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT FOR HONG KONG.

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THE OPEN LEARNING INSTITUTE, HE ADDED, WAS A PROVIDE, ON A LARGE SCALE, WORKING ADULTS WITH A SECOND EDUCATION.

NEW

ATTEMPT ΤΟ CHANCE

FOR

/THE COUNCIL