XN000022-1992-02-26 — Page 7

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1992

GOVT COMMITTED TO YOUTH DEVELOPMENT: SHA

THE GOVERNMENT HAS ALWAYS BEEN COMMITTED TO YOUTH DEVELOPMENT, THE SECRETARY FOR HOME AFFAIRS, MR MICHAEL SUEN, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL THIS (WEDNESDAY) EVENING.

SPEAKING AT A MOTION DEBATE ON THE DRAFT CHARTER FOR YOUTH, SUEN SAID THIS CAN BE DEMONSTRATED BY THE RANGE OF POLICIES PROGRAMMES WHICH "COLLECTIVELY PROMOTE THE INTEREST AND WELL-BEING OUR YOUTH."

་་

THESE

MR

AND

OF

SECURITY,

PROVIDE AN

WELFARE, COVER POLICIES ON EDUCATION, SOCIAL RECREATION AND CULTURE, AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT WHICH ENVIRONMENT CONDUCIVE TO YOUTH'S HEALTHY DEVELOPMENT.

"SUCH POLICIES HAVE ALSO EVOLVED IN BREADTH AND DEPTH TO IN PACE WITH THE CHANGING NEEDS OF OUR YOUTH, HE ADDED.

THE

—

H

KEEP

IN

TOTAL

AFTER ALL, MR SUEN SAID, IT HAD LONG RECOGNISED THAT PEOPLE 10 29 AGE GROUP WHICH CONSTITUTED A THIRD OF HONG KONG'S POPULATION "ARF OUR MOST VALUABLE ASSET: AN ASSET TO BE TREASURED RESPECTED; FOR TODAY'S YOUTH WILL BE

LEADERS, TOMORROW'S MAKERS AND WORKFORCE.

IN

--

AND

OPINION

THE GOVERNMENT THIS CONNECTION, MR SUEN IS CONFIDENT THAT SHOULD HAVE LITTLE PROBLEM IN ADOPTING PRINCIPLES ENUNICATED BY THE

FOR YOUTH AND IN CONDUCTING DRAFT CHARTER

REVIEW OF ITS POLICIES DEVELOPMENT SO AFFECTING YOUTH

AS TO ENSURE THAT THEY ARE COMPREHENSIVE IN MEETING THOSE AIMS.

MR SUEN SAID A SURVEY CARRIED OUT BY THE COMMISSION LAST YEAR REVEALED THAT THEY ASPIRE FOR BETTER EDUCATION AND THAT YOUNG PEOPLE SHOULD STUDY HARD, WORK HARD, LEARN MORE AND RECEIVE PROFESSIONAL TRAINING.

THE MAJORITY, HE SAID, PERCEIVED THEMSELVES AS RELATIONS WITH THEIR PARENTS.

ON YOUTH BELIEVE LANGUAGES

ENJOYING GOOD

SERVE INCREASING MORE COMPLEX

ALTHOUGH THESE WERE ALL POSITIVE ATTRIBUTES WHICH WOULD OUR YOUTH WELL. MR SUEN SAID THERE WAS, NEVERTHELESS, CONCERN ABOUT THE WELL-BEING OF THEIR GROWING UP IN A SOCIETY WHERE TRADITIONAL VALUES AND WESTERN INFLUENCE INTERPLAY.

ON

ASKED

RESPONSIBLE

FOR

IN THIS CONTEXT, MR SUEN OBSERVED, QUESTIONS WERE BEING

BEST

MATURE AND HOW

TO EQUIP THEM TO DEVELOP INTO INDIVIDUALS.

A CHARTER WHICH PROVIDED GUIDANCE FOR THIS REASON, THE YOUTH AND ALL OTHER SECTORS OF THE COMMUNITY WAS "INDEED TIMELY."

OF IN RESPONSE TO SOME MEMBERS' CALL FOR THE INSTITUTION YOUTH POLICY, MR SUEN EXPLAINED THAT THIS HAD BEEN CONSIDERED BEFORE.

LABEI. YOUTH AND VIGOROUSLY

"ALTHOUGH WE DO NOT HAVE AN EXPLICIT STATEMENT UNDER THE OF YOUTH POLICY, THE REALITY IS THAT POLICIES RELATING TO THE PROVISION OF SERVICES FOR THEIR WELL-BEING ARE IMPLEMENTED BY THE GOVERNMENT AND SUBVENTED AGENCIES.

BEING

/"A SPECIFIC