XN000022-1988-10-12 — Page 58

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 1988

PRIORITY FOR EXPANSION OF HIGHER EDUCATION

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TO

THE GOVERNMENT WILL CONTINUE TO ACCORD A VERY HIGH PRIORITY THE EXPANSION OF HIGHER EDUCATION WITH TERTIARY EDUCATION GROWING AT A RATE OF FIVE PER CENT A YEAR, THE GOVERNOR, SIR DAVID WILSON, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

MOREOVER, HE SAID, 3,000 STUDENTS WERE EXPECTED TO ENROL IN THE OPEN LEARNING INSTITUTE IN THE AUTUMN OF 1989, WITH THE NUMBER INCREASING TO 20,000 BY THE MID-1990'S.

THE NUMBER OF PLACES PROVIDED BY TECHNICAL

THE VOCATIONAL TRAINING COUNCIL WOULD ALSO INCREASE.

INSTITUTES UNDER

ON THE EDUCATION COMMISSION'S RECENT REPORT, SIR DAVID SAID THE GOVERNMENT WOULD TAKE CAREFUL ACCOUNT OF THE VIEWS EXPRESSED, WHILE BEARING IN MIND THE CENTRAL ISSUE OF HOW TO MAKE THE BEST USE OF RESOURCES TO PROVIDE THE FORM OF EDUCATION MOST SUITED TO HONG KONG'S NEEDS.

THE GOVERNOR POINTED OUT THAT AS HONG KONG CONTINUED TO GROW AND PROSPER, THERE WOULD BE AN INCREASING DEMAND FOR WELL EDUCATED YOUNG PEOPLE TO FILL PROFESSIONAL AND MANAGERIAL POSITIONS. THERE WAS ALSO A NEED TO TRAIN PEOPLE TO REPLACE THOSE WHO EMIGRATED.

HE NOTED THAT THERE WERE AT PRESENT 36,000 FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT PLACES IN HONG KONG'S TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS, PROVIDING FIRST DEGREE COURSES FOR ABOUT 6.5 PER CENT OF YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE RELEVANT AGE GROUP, AND NON-DEGREE STUDIES FOR ANOTHER FOUR PER CENT.

THESE PERCENTAGES WERE LOW BY INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS, HE SAID, AND THE NUMBER OF PLACES IN TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS THEREFORE NEEDED BE EXPANDED STEADILY.

TO

"WE AIM TO PROVIDE 40,000 FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT PLACES IN 1991; OVER 48,000 IN 1994; 58,000 IN 1997; AND OVER 62,000 BY THE TURN OF THE CENTURY," HE SAID.

"IN OTHER WORDS, TERTIARY EDUCATION WILL BE GROWING AT A RATE OF FIVE PER CENT A YEAR.

"BY THE YEAR 2000, MORE THAN 14 PER CENT OF YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE RELEVANT AGE BRACKET WILL BE ABLE TO PURSUE FIRST DEGREE COURSES AND SIX PER CENT TO PURSUE STUDIES AT THE NON-DEGREE LEVEL.'

SIR DAVID SAID THIS WOULD BE AN IMPRESSIVE ACHIEVEMENT, MADE POSSIBLE LARGELY THROUGH THE OPENING OF THE HONG KONG UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN 1991.

/MEANWHILE, THE