XN000022-1994-05-12 — Page 3

THURSDAY, MAY 12, 1994

IN HONG

2

04

KONG NO QUALIFIED STUDENT NEED BE

DEPRIVED OF THE OPPORTUNITY ΤΟ RECEIVE EDUCATION DUE TO LACK OF MEANS. FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE IS AVAILABLE FOR NEEDY STUDENTS AT ALL LEVELS FROM PRE- PRIMARY TO TERTIARY.

HAS

-

THAT SO MUCH INVOLVED IN

SO HONG KONG HAS COME A LONG WAY IN A SHORT TIME. BEEN ACHIEVED IS A GREAT TRIBUTE то ALL THOSE EDUCATION IN HONG KONG ABOVE ALL TO OUR 55,000 TEACHERS. WE ALL PARENTS, STUDENTS, THE WHOLE COMMUNITY DEPEND UPON THEM. THE FUTURE SUCCESS OF OUR COMMUNITY DEPENDS ON THEIR CALIBRE, THEIR QUALITY, THEIR COMMITMENT TO THEIR WORK.

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

―

FIRST, TO

TO EXPAND THE

WE HAVE SET OURSELVES TWO KEY AIMS FOR THE 1990S. UPGRADE THE QUALITY OF SCHOOL EDUCATION. SECONDLY, NUMBER OF PLACES AVAILABLE IN THE TERTIARY EDUCATION.

ON SCHOOL EDUCATION, WE HAVE HAD THE BENEFIT OF THE ADVICE FROM THE EDUCATION COMMISSION IN ITS NUMBER FIVE REPORT. WE ARE ACTING ΤΟ IMPLEMENT MOST OF ITS RECOMMENDATIONS. LET ME TELL YOU SOME OF THE THINGS WE HAVE DONE SO FAR:

—

FIRST, THE NEW HONG KONG INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION IS ON TARGET ΤΟ OFFER ITS FIRST ACADEMIC PROGRAMMES IN SEPTEMBER 1994 THANKS TO 15 MONTHS OF HARD WORK BY ITS PROVISIONAL GOVERNING COUNCIL, LED ABLY BY THE HON SIMON IP. THE NEW GOVERNING COUNCIL IS WORKING TO A TIGHT TIMETABLE TO MOULD THE EXISTING COLLEGES OF EDUCATION INTO THE NEW INSTITUTE. THEIR TOP PRIORITY IS TO COMPLETE THE $1.9 BILLION NEW CAMPUS PROJECT IN TAI PO BY 1997. IT WILL BE THE MAIN CENTRE FOR ALL TEACHER TRAINING IN HONG KONG. IT IS A BIG PROJECT, AND IT IS ON SCHEDULE.

VRRY

SECOND, WE ARE SPENDING OVER $600 MILLION TO IMPROVE THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT OF 60 PRIMARY SCHOOLS AND 50 SECONDARY SCHOOLS. SHABBY CLASSROOMS DON'T ENCOURAGE EXCELLENCE. WE ARE ALSO PLANNING FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO MORE SCHOOLS SECOND PHASE.

+

IN THE

THIRD, WE ARE GRADUALLY REDUCING THE PUPIL/TEACHER RATIO, CUTTING CLASS SIZES, UPGRADING TEACHING POSTS IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS TO GRADUATE LEVEL, EXPANDING THE NUMBER OF GRADUATE TEACHERS IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS AND WE HAVE DEVELOPED DEGREE COURSES FOR SERVING TEACHERS. WE HAVE SET CLEAR TARGETS, AND WE ARE MAKING GOOD, QUIET PROGRESS IN MEETING THEM. SINCE I FIRST ANNOUNCED THESE MEASURES IN MY POLICY SPEECH IN OCTOBER 1992, THE PUPIL/TEACHER RATIO HAS FALLEN FROM 26.9:1 ΤΟ 25.2:1 FOR PRIMARY SCHOOLS, AND FROM 21.8:1 TO 20.6:1 FOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS; THE AVERAGE CLASS SIZE FOR PRIMARY ONE HAS BEEN REDUCED FROM 36 TO 31; AND BY THIS SEPTEMBER THERE WILL BE 180 NEW GRADUATE POSTS IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS, AND AN EXTRA 800 GRADUATE POSTS IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS.

FOURTH, THE COUNCIL ON PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT IN EDUCATION HAS JUST BEEN ELECTED. ITS ESTABLISHMENT REPRESENTS A FURTHER STEP TOWARDS GREATER PROFESSIONALISM IN TEACHING.

/GOOD, SOLID