XN000022-1994-10-06 — Page 23

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6, 1994

QUESTION:

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JUST NOW ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES ASKED ABOUT THE ISSUE OF FEE INCREASE IN TERTIARY INSTITUTION. I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH YOUR REPLY AND I THINK WHAT YOU SAID SHOWS YOUR IGNORANCE BECAUSE, AS FAR AS I UNDERSTAND, THERE ARE MANY UNIVERSITIES IN THE WORLD WHICH DO NOT CHARGE SCHOOL FEES. THAT'S THE CASE IN CHINA. THEY ONLY NEED TO PAY $200, $300 FOR MISCELLANEOUS EXPENSES. NOW, WE ARE IN 1994 AND IN THE NEXT TWO OR THREE YEARS WE WILL EVENTUALLY PAY UP TO $36,000 OR MORE PER YEAR FOR FEES. SO HOW CAN YOU GUARANTEE THAT OUR FAMILIES COULD AFFORD SUCH EXORBITANT FEES WHEN THE GOVERNMENT IS NOT GIVING US ENOUGH GRANTS AND LOAN. I HOPE YOU WILL ANSWER MY QUESTION DIRECTLY. DON'T CITE ANY EXAMPLE FROM OTHER COUNTRIES.

GOVERNOR:

WELL, YOU CITED EXAMPLES FROM OTHER COUNTRIES AND SINCE I BELIEVE IN FAIRNESS IN ARGUMENT AND DEMOCRACY IN DEBATE I WILL CITE SOME EXAMPLES AS WELL. I CAN'T THINK OF A SINGLE OTHER COUNTRY, A SINGLE OTHER COMMUNITY AS WELL-OFF AS HONG KONG WHERE THERE AREN'T FEES FOR THE TERTIARY SECTOR. I CAN'T THINK OF ONE. IF YOU LOOK AT THE EXAMPLE OF OECD COUNTRIES WHICH ARE A GOOD DEAL LESS PROSPEROUS THAN HONG KONG, THEY ARE INVARIABLY SETTING HIGHER FEES FOR TERTIARY EDUCATION. NOW, I DON'T SEE THAT THAT OPENS AND CLOSES THE ARGUMENT. OF COURSE IT DOESN'T. ONE HAS TO LOOK AT INDIVIDUAL CASES AND THE PROBLEM IN INDIVIDUAL COMMUNITIES. BUT I DON'T THINK IT IS QUITE AS UNUSUAL AS YOU WERE IMPLYING TO ASK TERTIARY EDUCATION STUDENTS TO PAY A FEE TOWARDS THE COST OF THEIR EDUCATION. I AM NOT SO DUMB AS то THINK THAT ARGUING THE CASE FOR FEES AND FEE INCREASES IN FRONT OF A PREDOMINANTLY TERTIARY EDUCATION AUDIENCE GUARANTEES YOU A STANDING OVATION. I AM AWARE OF THE FACT THAT IT'S ABOUT AS POPULAR AS ARGUING THE CASE FOR CHRISTMAS WITH TURKEYS. I MEAN, THIS IS NOT SOMETHING WHICH IS LIKELY TO MAKE ONE VERY POPULAR. BUT I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE RECOGNISE THAT WE CAN'T HAVE THE DEVELOPMENT OF TERTIARY EDUCATION FOR NOTHING. IT DOES COST MONEY AND WHAT WE ARE ASKING FOR AT THE MOMENT IS 13 PER CENT CONTRIBUTION TOWARDS THE COST FROM THOSE WHO ARE BEING EDUCATED.

THERE IS JUST ONE OTHER THING I ADD. WE ARE TRYING TO ENSURE THAT THE LOANS AND GRANTS SYSTEM MEANS THAT WE DON'T RUN INTO THE SORT OF PROBLEMS THAT YOU MENTIONED IN WHICH PEOPLE FROM NEEDIER BACKGROUNDS AREN'T ABLE TO GO TO TERTIARY EDUCATION BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE THE CASH. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THERE IS A GOOD DEAL OF EVIDENCE THAT SOCIOLOGICALLY THE TERTIARY EDUCATION IS EXTREMELY MIXED IN HONG KONG AND THAT, BY AND LARGE, WE HAVE MANAGED TO ENSURE THAT THERE IS A BROADENING OF EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY FOR EVERYONE IN HONG KONG AND THAT'S GOT TO CONTINUE WITH THE CASE. BUT IN THIS PARTICULAR SPEECH THIS YEAR WE'VE ANNOUNCED OVER $300 MILLION MORE FOR LOANS AND GRANTS IN ORDER TO TRY TO DEAL WITH THE PROBLEMS FACED BY NEEDIER STUDENTS.

QUESTION:

MR GOVERNOR, AT THE END OF SEPTEMBER THERE WAS THE NATIONALIST CELEBRATION. WERE YOU AWARE OF THE FACT THAT SOME STUDENTS WERE TAKEN AWAY BY FORCE BY THE ROYAL HK POLICE FORCE. SO MY QUESTION IS, THERE HAS BEEN A COUPLE OF OCCASIONS WHEN STUDENTS WERE TREATED IN SUCH A MANNER. SO HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT IT? AND WHAT ABOUT THE PUBLIC ORDER ORDINANCE? IS IT ACTUALLY DEPRIVING US OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND ARE OUR POLICE TOO POWERFUL?

OUR

/GOVERNOR: