XN000022-1994-11-30 — Page 28

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1994

PRISONERS' EDUCATION TRUST FUND BILL

FOLLOWING IS THE

FOR SPEECH BY THE SECRETARY ALISTAIR

OF MOVING THE SECOND READING ASPREY, IN

THE PRISONERS'

EDUCATION TRUST FUND BILL IN THE

TODAY LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL (WEDNESDAY):

SECURITY,

MR

MR PRESIDENT,

A

HELP

I MOVE THAT THE PRISONERS' EDUCATION TRUST FUND BILL BE READ

TRUST FUND ΤΟ BILL SEEKS TO ESTABLISH A SECOND TIME. THIS PRISONERS WHO WISH TO PURSUE ACADEMIC COURSES WHILE IN PRISON.

HONG KONG HAS

ON A PENAL SYSTEM WHICH PLACES EMPHASIS REHABILITATION. AS PART OF THEIR

PRISONERS ARE REHABILITATION

TO STUDIES

PREPARE ENCOURAGED TO PURSUE ACADEMIC AND VOCATIONAL THEMSELVES FOR REINTEGRATION INTO THE COMMUNITY UPON RELEASE. THIS

THAT PREMISE

PRISONERS WITH BASED ON THE

EDUCATION SUCCESSFULLY ARE BETTER ABLE TO REINTEGRATE SOCIETY UPON THEIR RELEASE.

VOCATIONAL SKILLS

BETTER

IS

AND INTO

DEVELOPED DIFFERENT

THE CORRECTIONAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT HAS PROGRAMMES OF EDUCATION AND VOCATIONAL TRAINING FOR INMATES AS PART OF THE REHABILITATION PROCESS. YOUNG OFFENDERS AGED BETWEEN 14 AND 21 ARE REQUIRED TO ATTEND

TRAINING CLASSES EDUCATIONAL AND VOCATIONAL CONDUCTED IN THE CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS.

ON A

OPPORTUNITIES

STUDY ARE OFFERED TO ADULT OFFENDERS FOR VOLUNTARY BASIS. THESE ARE PROVIDED IN THE FORM OF REMEDIAL CLASSES, 1993, 420 CORRESPONDENCE COURSES AND SPECIAL SELF-STUDY COURSES. IN PRISONERS WERE ENROLLED IN CORRESPONDENCE COURSES; 93 IN TECHNICAL ADULT AND COURSES AND 29 IN EXTERNAL DEGREE COURSES. THE RESULTS OF

VERY ENCOURAGING. YOUNG

IN EXTERNAL EXAMINATIONS ARE OFFENDERS 1993, THEY ACHIEVED AN 81% PASS RATE IN THE HONG KONG CERTIFICATE

MOST OF EDUCATION EXAMINATION, AND BETWEEN 60% AND 70% PASS RATE IN

AND INDUSTRY IN THE LONDON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE EXAMINATION. THESE RATES ARE BETTER THAN THOSE ACHIEVED BY STUDENTS IN OPEN SOCIETY.

THE

SUBJECTS

IN OF

OF PURSUING ACADEMIC THE BENEFITS TO PRISONERS IN VIEW OF

CORRECTIONAL SERVICES STUDIES, EVERY ASSISTANCE IS PROVIDED BY THE

BOOKS ARE DEPARTMENT то ENCOURAGE MORE PRISONERS TO STUDY. LIBRARY

AND FULL-TIME AVAILABLE IN ALL PENAL INSTITUTIONS, WHILE PART-TIME TEACHERS ARE RECRUITED TO CONDUCT CLASSES AND TO ASSIST PRISONERS THEIR SELF-STUDY COURSES.

CORRECTIONAL

IN

BE

HOWEVER, IT IS NOT POSSIBLE FOR THE

SERVICES IT IS DEPARTMENT TO CATER FOR THE NEEDS OF EACH AND EVERY PRISONER.

EDUCATION TRUST WITH THIS IN MIND THAT I PUT FORWARD THE PRISONERS' FUND BILL. UNDER THIS BILL, A PRISONERS' EDUCATION TRUST FUND WILL ESTABLISHED TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL RESOURSES TO PRISONERS FOR

SUCH STUDIES. IT WILL ALSO BE USED TO SET UP EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES,

THE AS A LANGUAGE LABORATORY AND A COMPUTER ROOM, FOR PRISONERS' USE,

IT IS INTENDED FUND WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR ALL PRISONERS, ALTHOUGH

NO ALTERNATIVE

TO

THOSE

ADULT

PRIMARILY

ASSIST

PRISONERS EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE TO THEM.

WITH

ACADEMIC

/THE COMMISSIONER