XN000022-1994-09-13 — Page 6

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 1994

AND

THE REVISED STRUCTURE WAS FORMULATED AFTER A COMPREHENSIVE INTENSIVE CONSULTATION EXERCISE CONDUCTED BY THE EDUCATION COMMISSION BACK IN 1988.

THIS CONSULTATION INCLUDED IN-DEPTH DISCUSSIONS WITH INDIVIDUAL INSTITUTIONS AND AMPLE TIME - FOUR MONTHS HAD ALSO BEEN ALLOWED FOR PUBLIC DEBATE ON THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS.

-

THE COMMISSION'S RECOMMENDATIONS, SUBSEQUENTLY ACCEPTED BY GOVERNMENT, ARE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE COMMUNITY'S BROAD CONSENSUS ON THIS SUBJECT, HAVING TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT THE COMMUNITY'S DESIRE ΤΟ INCREASE THE AVAILABILITY OF TERTIARY PLACES AND TO HAVE A UNIFIED POINT ог ENTRY TO FIRST-DEGREE COURSES, TIE INTEREST OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS, AND THE WISHI OF THE TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS IN DETERMINING THE EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR THEIR OWN COURSES.

HAVING JUST ACCOMPLISHED THE REVISION TO THE TERTIARY EDUCATION STRUCTURE, GOVERNMENT DOES NOT SEE THE NEED FOR A FURTHER REVISION AT THIS STAGE, NOR HAS GOVERNMENT DETECTED ANY BROAD COMMUNITY DESIRE ΤΟ DO SO.

IT IS A MAJOR ACHIEVEMENT FOR HONG KONG THAT THE AMBITIOUS TERTIARY EDUCATION EXPANSION PROGRAMME, WHICH AIMS TO PROVIDE 14,500 FIRST-YEAR, FIRST-DEGREE PLACES TO ENABLE NO LESS THAN 18 PER CENT

OF THOSE IN THE 17 TO 20 AGE GROUP TO HAVE ACCESS TO DEGREE PLACES BY 1994/95, HAS BEEN ACHIEVED SO SMOOTHLY.

GREAT CREDIT MUST BE GIVEN TO THE INSTITUTIONS AND TO THE UPGC. BUT THERE ARE STILL A LOT OF IMPORTANT WORK TO DO.

HAVING ACHIEVED THE NUMBER TARGET, INSTITUTIONS NEED TO CONSIDER HOW THE QUALITY OF OUR GRADUATES, INCLUDING THEIR LANGUAGE SKILLS, MAY BE FURTHER IMPROVED.

THE UPGC IS ALSO IN DIALOGUE WITH THE INSTITUTIONS AND WITH THE PUBLIC, THROUGH THE PUBLICATION OF THEIR INTERIM REPORT, ON HOW THE LONGER TERM DIRECTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION MAY BE SET.

OTHER IMPORTANT AREAS SUCH AS POSTGRADUATE TRAINING, CONTINUING EDUCATION, ACCOUNTABILITY AND COST-EFFECTIVENESS OF THE INSTITUTIONS ALSO NEED TO BE CAREFULLY ADDRESSED.

TO ENGAGE IN ANOTHER ROUND OF DEBATE

ON THE STRUCTURE OF TERTIARY EDUCATION, SO SOON AFTER THE RECENT RESTRUCTURING EXERCISE, AND IN THE FACE OF SO MANY OTHER PRIORITIES, IS CLEARLY UNTIMELY UNDESIRABLE.

AND

WE MUST ALSO BEAR IN MIND THE FACT THAT THE INTEREST OF A LARGE NUMBER OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS MIGHT BE AFFECTED BY YET ANOTHER ROUND OF PROPOSED CHANGES WHICH COULD CREATE CONFUSION AND UNCERTAINTY IN THEIR EXPECTATIONS.

THE INTEREST OF OUR TERTIARY STUDENTS MUST NOT BE CONSIDERED IN ISOLATION FROM THAT OF THE MUCH LARGER NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS IN THE ENTIRE EDUCATION SYSTEM. THE SUBJECT MUST BE HANDLED WITH GREAT PRUDENCE AND WITH THE BEST INTEREST OF THE ENTIRE LOCAL STUDENT POPULATION IN MIND."

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