XN000022-1991-04-17 — Page 35

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17, 1991

"IT IS CLEAR THAT, AS A RESULT OF THE FEE REMISSION INTRODUCED IN 1990, KINDERGARTEN EDUCATION HAS IMPROVED.

SCHEMB

"THE AVERAGE SALARY FOR KINDERGARTEN TEACHERS HAS RISEN BY 46 PER CENT. THE NUMBER OF NEW TEACHERS HAS INCREASED BY 10 PER CENT AND APPLICATIONS FOR TRAINING HAVE GROWN SUBSTANTIALLY," HE SAID.

IN

ORDER TO ACCELERATE THE PACE OF THIS IMPROVEMENT, MR YEUNG SAID THE GOVERNMENT WOULD SOON BE PUTTING ΤΟ FINANCE COMMITTEE PROPOSALS FOR DOUBLING THE PROVISION SOUGHT IN THE DRAFT ESTIMATES FOR FEE REMISSIONS.

"AS A FURTHER EXAMPLE OF WHAT WE INTEND TO ACHIEVE WITH OUR SAVINGS,

WILL BE WE

PUTTING TO FINANCE COMMITTEE

FOR PROPOSALS INCREASING CLASSROOMS AND ANCILLARY FACILITIES AT SIXTH FORM LEVEL, FOR PROVIDING SCHOOLS WITH MORE TEACHERS AS THEY DEVELOP SECONDARY 7 CLASSES, AND FOR THE TRAINING OF TEACHERS TO COPE WITH THE TEACHING OF ADVANCE SUPPLEMENTARY-LEVEL SUBJECTS AND ADVANCE-LEVEL

IN SUBJECTS

CHINESE.

WILL ALSO BE MAKING A START ON SOME OF THE MORE IMPORTANT CONTAINED IN THE FOURTH REPORT OF THE EDUCATION

"WE RECOMMENDATIONS COMMISSION, HE SAID.

RESPONDING

GOVERNMENT

MEMBERS TO THE GENERAL MESSAGE CONVEYED BY THE THE DEBATE, MR YEUNG NOTED THAT THEY WERE IN FACT

HAD NOT DONE ENOUGH FOR EDUCATION OVERALL THE LION'S SHARE OF FUNDING WAS BEING DEVOTED TO TERTIARY AND BY COMPLAINING THAT THE TERTIARY SECTOR WAS NOT RECEIVING SUFFICIENT FUNDS.

IN

SAYING

THE

BY

COMPLAINING

EDUCATION,

HE SAID.

"I CANNOT LET THIS PASS,

POINTED HE

OUT THAT 20 YEARS AGO, THERE WERE NOT ENOUGH PRIMARY SCHOOL PLACES TO GIVE EVERY CHILD IN HONG KONG A EDUCATION.

SECONDARY ONLY ONE IN STX COULD FIND A SUBSIDISED PLACE.

EVEN BASIC SCHOOL

"TODAY',

WE PROVIDE NINE

FREE YEARS OF

EDUCATION

FOR ALL

CHILDREN.

"UPWARDS OF 80 PER CENT OF ALL FORM 3 LEAVERS GO ON MORE YEARS IN SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL, WHILE A FURTHER 15 ENROL IN TECHNICAL INSTITUTES AT EQUIVALENT LEVELS.

FOR

PER

TWO CENT

"ONE FORM 5 LEAVER IN THREE CAN OBTAIN A SUBSIDISED SIXTH

FORM

PLACE.

"BY THE MID-1990S, THREE OUT OF FIVE SIXTH FORMERS WILL BE ABLE

HE SAID. TO TAKE A FIRST DEGREE COURSE,'

MR YEUNG POINTED OUT THAT THIS MASSIVE QUANTUM OF EDUCATION WAS 80 PER CENT READILY ACCESSIBLE BECAUSE IT WAS EITHER FREE OR OVER SUBSIDISED ADDING THAT NO CHILD WAS BARRED FROM EDUCATION THROUGH LACK OF MEANS,

"HAVING RETURNED RECENTLY WITH THE EDUCATION COMMISSION FROM VISIT TO THE UNITED STATES AND BRITAIN, I CAN CONFIDENTLY SAY THAT HAVE BUILT UP IN HONG KONG AN EDUCATION SYSTEM OF WHICH WE CAN ALL PROUD," HE CONCLUDED.

A

WE

BE

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