XN000022-1988-05-04 — Page 24

WEDNESDAY, MAY 4, 1988

COMPLETED

HE ADDED THAT 80 NEW SCHOOLS WERE EXPECTED TO BE 1993 AND THAT MOST OF THESE WOULD BE IN THE AREAS OF GREATEST NEED.

THE LAST AREA

BY

THAT NEEDED TO BE IMPROVED

MR BRIDGE SAID CONCERNED THE POLICY TOWARDS PRIVATE SCHOOLS.

BEEN EXAMINING

WAYS CONTAINED

ΤΟ

HE SAID THE EDUCATION COMMISSION HAD IMPROVE THE SITUATION AND THAT ITS RECOMMENDATIONS WOULD BE IN REPORT NO.3 DUE TO BE RELEASED IN JUNE.

HE ADDED THAT IT WAS THE GOVERNMENT'S AIM TO DEVELOP

THOSE IN PRIVATE SECTOR WITH STANDARDS AT LEAST EQUAL TO AND AIDED SCHOOLS.

A

STRONG GOVERNMENT

DISADVANTAGE OF IMPORTING LABOUR OUTLINED

IT WAS FAR FROM OBVIOUS THAT IMPORT OF LABOUR WOULD BE IN THE INTEREST OF HONG KONG PEOPLE, THE SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER, THE HON RON BRIDGE, SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

SPEAKING IN THE BUDGET DEBATE, MR BRIDGE SAID: "IF WE IMPORTED LARGE NUMBERS OF COMPARATIVELY UNSKILLED WORKERS AT COMPARATIVELY LOW WAGES, ANY INCREASE IN TOTAL GDP WOULD TEND TO BE AT THE EXPENSE OF GDP PER PERSON.

H

IT IS GDP PER PERSON THAT MATTERS WHEN IT COMES ΤΟ THE PROSPERITY OF OUR PEOPLE.

"NO DOUBT SOME EMPLOYERS WOULD PREFER TO IMPORT WORKERS AND 90 SLOW DOWN THE RISE IN WAGES; BUT IT IS FAR FROM OBVIOUS THAT THIS WOULD BE IN THE INTEREST OF OUR WORKERS OR OUR PEOPLE AS A WHOLE.

MR BRIDGE SAID THAT THE PROBLEM OF LABOUR SHORTAGE

THE SUCCESS OF HONG KONG'S ECONOMY.

AROSE

FROM

"OUR PRESENT SITUATION OF FULL EMPLOYMENT AND LABOUR SHORTAGE, HAS MADE WAGES RISE AND SO ENABLED OUR SHARE IN OUR GENERAL PROSPERITY."

HENCE, THE WORKERS ΤΟ

DESPITE THE PROBLEM OF LABOUR SHORTAGE, MR BRIDGE SAID THERE WERE STILL MANY HANDICAPPED PEOPLE WHO WERE CAPABLE OF DOING A GOOD JOB AND COULD NOT FIND WORK.

/HE SAID