XN000022-1993-10-06 — Page 25

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BOTH FIGURES WERE FAR TOO LOW, HE SAID.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 1993

"WE CANNOT BEGIN TO RAISE STANDARDS OF COMPUTER LITERACY UNTIL THE COMPUTER IS AS COMMON IN THE CLASSROOM AS A BLACKBOARD, HE ADDED.

**

HE

SAID THE NUMBER OF COMPUTERS IN SCHOOLS WOULD DOUBLE YEAR TO OVER 9,000, AT A COST OF $114 MILLION.

NEXT

FOSTERING EXCELLENCE DOES NOT MEAN DISCARDING THE LESS GIFTED,

SCHOOL ADDITIONAL

THE GOVERNOR NOTED THAT OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS, EACH WITH A HIGH PROPORTION OF BAND 5 STUDENTS WOULD RECEIVE AN GRADUATE TEACHER TO ASSIST IN TEACHING THIS GROUP OF STUDENTS.

HE SAID THE GOVERNMENT WOULD ALSO SET UP A TEAM TO DEVELOP A SPECIAL CURRICULUM FOR THIS CATEGORY OF STUDENTS AND TO PRODUCE APPROPRIATE TEACHING AIDS.

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"IT IS ONLY FAIR THAT THESE STUDENTS SHOULD FIND A FULL OPPORTUNITY FOR DEVELOPING THEIR TALENTS THROUGHOUT THEIR SCHOOL CAREERS EVEN IF THEY LACK AN APTITUDE FOR EXAMINATIONS.

ON

[

PRE-SCHOOLING PROBLEMS, THE GOVERNOR SAID MORE THAN 85 PER CENT OF CHILDREN UNDER SIX NOW WENT TO KINDERGARTENS BEFORE JOINING PRIMARY SCHOOLS.

A GOOD KINDERGARTEN COULD LAY FIRM FOUNDATIONS FOR A CHILD'S FUTURE EDUCATION, HE SAID.

MR PATTEN SAID THE GOVERNMENT PROPOSED TO BRING FORWARD TO NEXT YEAR, FROM THE ORIGINAL 1997 TARGET DATE, THE SCHEDULED IMPROVEMENTS TO THE KINDERGARTEN FEE REMISSION SCHEME.

THE GOVERNMENT ALSO PROPOSES TO SPEND AN ADDITIONAL $42 MILLION OVER THE NEXT FOUR YEARS, SO THAT THOSE PARENTS WHO SEND THEIR CHILDREN TO KINDERGARTENS, BUT WHO FACE DIFFICULTIES IN AFFORDING THE FEES, WILL BE ABLE TO OBTAIN FURTHER FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE.

OVER THE NEXT FOUR YEARS, ABOUT 20,000 FAMILIES WILL BENEFIT FROM THIS MEASURE.

"THAT IS A WORTHWHILE INVESTMENT IN OUR CHILDREN, AND AN EXCELLENT INVESTMENT IN HONG KONG'S FUTURE, HE SAID.

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