XN000022-1991-11-06 — Page 45

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 1991

HE

OF

SAID: "SOME OF THE PUBLIC CONCERN ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OVER-RAPID EXPANSION APPEARS TO BE BASED ON A PERCEPTION OF FALLING

I SUGGEST STANDARDS.

THAT, FOR TOO LONG, WE HAVE HAD TOO MUCH COMPETITION FOR TERTIARY PLACES.

TO

"GREATER ACCESSIBILITY HAS NOW ENABLED THE TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS

ACCEPT CANDIDATES WHO ARE LESS OVER-QUALIFIED THAN BEFORE, BUT NEVERTHELESS WELL QUALIFIED, FOR THE COURSES THEY SEEK UNDERTAKE.

TO

IS

"NO-ONE CAN BE MORE CONCERNED THAN THE TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS THEMSELVES ABOUT MAINTAINING THE QUALITY OF THEIR GRADUATES, WHICH INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNISED. ALL THE INSTITUTIONS HAVE WELL ESTABLISHED QUALITY CONTROL MECHANISMS THROUGH THEIR NETWORKS OF EXTERNAL EXAMINERS. DEGREE COURSES AT THE NON-UNIVERSITY INSTITUTIONS ARE IN ADDITION VALIDATED BY THE HONG KONG COUNCIL FOR ACADEMIC ACCREDITATION."

AT

BEGINNING THE

THAT OF HIS SPEECH, MR CHAN REMARKED

FEW SOCIETIES ATTACHED AS MUCH IMPORTANCE TO EDUCATION AS DID HONG KONG, AND MEMBERS HAD CLEARLY UNDERLINED THIS WHEN THEY VOICED THEIR CONCERNS ABOUT THE ADEQUACY OF RESOURCES AND THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION.

DEALING WITH RESOURCES, MR CHAN MADE THREE POINTS:

CORPORATE

DONORS.

BEYOND

ALSO CONTRIBUTE

"FIRST, AMONG ALL THE GOVERNMENT'S PROGRAMME ARBAS, EDUCATION CONSUMES THE LARGEST SHARE OF PUBLIC EXPENDITURE. THAT IS NOT THE WHOLE STORY. ORGANISATIONS SUCH AS SCHOOL SPONSORING BODIES AND THE JOCKEY CLUB HAVE INVESTED SUBSTANTIAL FUNDS, PARTICULARLY IN CAPITAL PROJECTS. 80, TOO, HAVE MANY INDIVIDUAL AND SECONDARY 3. STUDENTS OR THEIR PARENTS THROUGH FEES,

ALTHOUGH PLACES ARE HEAVILY SUBSIDISED AND THERE ARE

ΤΟ FEE REMISSION AND OTHER ASSISTANCE SCHEMES ENSURE THAT NO-ONE IS DENIED ACCESS TO EDUCATION LACK OF MEANS. THUS, THE FINANCIAL RESOURCES DEVOTED BY THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE TO EDUCATION ARE CONSIDERABLY GREATER THAN CAN BE DISCERNED FROM THE GOVERNMENT'9 EXPENDITURE ESTIMATES.

IMPROVEMENTS

BUT

THROUGH

THAT. SCHOOL

"SECONDLY, THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION IS NOT DETERMINED BY THE AMOUNT OF RESOURCES ALONE. TRUE, MOST EDUCATIONAL

AT COST MONEY, AND SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNTS IMPROVEMENTS DO NOT COST THAT MUCH. SOME

THE MANAGEMENT INITIATIVE, WHICH SEEKS TO IMPROVE SCHOOL MANAGEMENT

SCHOOLS BY GIVING RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE USE OF RESOURCES AND BY INVOLVING TEACHERS IN DECISION MAKING, IS A GOOD COOPERATION BETWEEN PARENTS AND TEACHERS IS ANOTHER.

"THIRDLY,

MORE

AUTHORITY

EXAMPLE.

GIVEN

AND

GREATER

PRODUCE THAT

TO THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY CAN BE MADE MORE RESULTS THROUGH BETTER MANAGEMENT. RESOURCES ARE ALWAYS LIMITED, IT BEHOVES ALL MANAGERS TO SEEK TO ACHIEVE THE BEST VALUE FOR MONEY. THANKS MAINLY TO THE MOST CAPABLE ASSISTANCE OF THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION, TO WHOM I AM DEEPLY GRATEFUL, MY BRANCH HAS FOUND SIGNIFICANT SAVINGS FROM OUR BASELINE EXPENDITURE - OVER ONE BILLION DOLLARS IN THE NEXT THREE YEARS

ΤΟ ALLOW IMPORTANT OUR SCHOOL MEASURES TO BE TAKEN TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION."

-

/ON THE