XN000022-1991-03-13 — Page 23

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13, 1991

21

"WE HAVE RECEIVED ABOUT 66,000 APPLICATIONS FOR SOME 43,000 PLACES AVAILABLE UNDER THE FIRST PHASE OF THE SCHEME.

..

"THESE APPLICATIONS WILL NOW BE PROCESSED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS ENACTED IN THE UNITED KINGDOM AND HONG KONG FOR THE PURPOSE, MR ASPREY SAID.

HE ADDED THAT THE OCCUPATIONAL GROUPS IDENTIFIED IN THE SCHEME HAVE BEEN CAREFULLY CHOSEN.

OF

"WE BELIEVE THAT THE COVERAGE HAS BEEN BROAD ENOUGH TO ATTRACT APPLICANTS FROM KEY PROFESSIONS AND OCCUPATIONS, WHICH IS THE AIM THE SCHEME, HE SAID.

CLEAR AND CONSISTENT STANDARDS FOR RECOGNITION OF

POST SECONDARY COURSES

►

THE SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER, THE HON K.Y YEUNG, TODAY (WEDNESDAY) ASSURED MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL THAT THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION WOULD CONTINUE TO APPLY CLEAR AND CONSISTENT STANDARDS WHEN CONSIDERING POST SECONDARY COURSES FOR RECOGNITION BY

THE GOVERNOR.

REPLYING TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON LEUNG WAI-TUNG IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, MR YEUNG SAID THE GOVERNMENT'S AIM WAS ΤΟ PROTECT THE PUBLIC INTEREST.

HE EXPLAINED THAT SECTION 17 OF THE EDUCATION ORDINANCE STATED THAT THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION WOULD NOT, WITHOUT THE CONSENT OF THE GOVERNOR, REGISTER ANY SCHOOL WHICH PROVIDED A POST SECONDARY EDUCATION.

"EXERCISE OF THIS POWER, IN PRACTICE, REQUIRES THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION TO TAKE A VIEW AS TO WHETHER OR NOT A COURSE OFFERED IS POST SECONDARY IN NATURE, HE SAID.

--

FOR THE 20 OR SO PRIVATE INSTITUTIONS WHICH HAD BEEN REGISTERED AS SCHOOLS UNDER THE EDUCATION ORDINANCE AND WHICH CLAIMED TO OFFER POST SECONDARY COURSES, MR YEUNG SAID THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION, WHEN REGISTERING THEM, TOOK THE VIEW THAT THE COURSES OFFERED COULD NOT PROPERLY BE REGARDED AS BEING POST SECONDARY.

"TO DATE ONLY THREE SCHOOLS HAVE RECEIVED THE GOVERNOR'S CONSENT UNDER SECTION 17 TO OFFER POST SECONDARY COURSES,

THESE ARE NOT NUMBERED AMONGST THE SCHOOLS IN QUESTION,

"

AND

HE SAID.

HE POINTED OUT THAT THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION WAS NOW UNDERTAKING A SURVEY OF THESE 20 OR SO SCHOOLS AND WOULD SHORTLY MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO HIM AS TO WHETHER ANY OF THE COURSES OFFERED BY THEM WERE NOW OF A POST SECONDARY NATURE AND WHETHER, AS A RESULT, THE CONSENT OF THE GOVERNOR SHOULD BE SOUGHT.

/"IN RESPECT