XN000022-1990-07-12 — Page 28

THURSDAY, JULY 12, 1990

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SOCIETY,

"AND YOUNG PEOPLE, AS THE FUTURE MAINSTAY OF THE SHOULD SEIZE EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO ACQUIRE MORE KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS, TO DEVELOP THEIR CHARACTER AND TO PARTICIPATE IN COMMUNITY AFFAIRS SO THAT THEY WILL BE ABLE ΤΟ MAKE THE MAXIMUM CONTRIBUTION TO THE SOCIETY IN THEIR RESPECTIVE ROLES IN THE FUTURE, HE SAID.

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THE OBJECTIVE OF

HE POINTED OUT THAT

THE DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION SCHEME LAUNCHED BY THE GOVERNMENT IN 1981 WAS TO ENABLE THE GOVERNMENT TO MAKE MORE SPEEDY RESPONSE TO THE NEEDS OF LOCAL RESIDENTS, INCLUDING THOSE OF YOUNG PEOPLE, THROUGH A NETWORK OF DISTRICT BOARDS AND DISTRICT MANAGEMENT COMMITTEES.

"IT IS ALSO HOPED THAT MORE RESIDENTS, AND YOUNG PEOPLE IN PARTICULAR, WILL' ACTIVELY PARTICIPATE IN LOCAL AFFAIRS AND VOICE THEIR OPINIONS," HE SAID.

"ONE POINT WORTH NOTING IS THAT NEARLY 40 PER CENT OF THE DISTRICT BOARD MEMBERS ARE UNDER 40 YEARS OF AGE AND AT PRESENT, THERE ARE MANY YOUNG PEOPLE SERVING AS CO-OPTED MEMBERS ON VARIOUS COMMITTEES UNDER THE DISTRICT BOARDS.

"THIS GOOD TRAINING HELPS GROOM THE YOUNG PEOPLE INTO FUTURE DISTRICT LEADERS," HE ADDED.

MR LAN COMMENDED CARITAS FOR ENCOURAGING ITS STUDENTS ΤΟ TAKE IN EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES AND FOSTERING THEIR CIVIC AWARENESS.

PART

HE NOTED THAT PREVOCATIONAL SCHOOL WAS AN ESSENTIAL COMPONENT OF HONG KONG'S EDUCATION SYSTEM AS IT PROVIDED AN ALTERNATIVE TO GRAMMAR SCHOOL AND TECHNICAL COLLEGE IN MEETING THE DIFFERENT ABILITIES AND APTITUDE OF THE STUDENTS AND THE NEEDS OF THE SOCIETY.

GRADING OF BEACH WATER QUALITY

THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION DEPARTMENT (EPD) TODAY (THURSDAY) ANNOUNCED GRADES ON THE BACTERIAL WATER QUALITY OF ALL BATHING BEACHES IN HONG KONG.

THE PURPOSE OF THE GRADING SYSTEM IS TO INFORM SWIMMERS AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC ABOUT THE STATE OF BACTERIAL POLLUTION AT VARIOUS BEACHES. THE GRADING WILL BE ANNOUNCED BIWEEKLY DURING THE BATHING SEASON TO COINCIDE WITH THE FREQUENCY AT WHICH BEACH WATERS ARE USUALLY SAMPLED.

THE GRADING IS BASED ON THE MOST RECENT E. COLI DATA OBTAINED BY THE EPD IN ITS ROUTINE MONITORING PROGRAMME. AS WITH LAST YEAR, THE GRADING ALSO INCLUDES AN ESTIMATE OF THE RISK OF SUFFERING SOME MINOR SKIN OR GASTROINTESTINAL COMPLAINTS AS A RESULT OF SWIMMING AT A BEACH WHICH HAS SOME DEGREE OF POLLUTION. THE ESTIMATE IS BASED ON A VERY LARGE BODY OF STATISTICAL INFORMATION GATHERED IN HONG KONG IN RECENT BATHING SEASONS.

/THE GRADING

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