XN000022-1994-12-12 — Page 5

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Government takes seriously human rights report

In response to press enquiries, a Government spokesman said today (Monday) that the Government took very seriously the report released on December 9 by the United Nations Human Rights Committee.

"The Government will study in detail the UN Committee's report and that the relevant branches and departments will examine carefully the advice and

recommendations on a number of matters," he said.

The spokesman said the Hong Kong Government had a good record on human rights protection and there was no reluctance in maximising the protection of economic, social and cultural rights in Hong Kong.

"A lot has been done in the past few years," he said. "The introduction of the Bill of Rights Ordinance, the adoption of the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child, and the proposed extention of the Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women are concrete examples."

End/Monday, December 12, 1994

Advisory Committee's recommendations on graduate teachers

The following is issued on behalf of the Advisory Committee on Teacher Education and Qualifications:

The Advisory Committee on Teacher Education and Qualifications (ACTEQ) has recommended to the Government that in the long term all graduate teachers in secondary schools should possess a degree, or a degree-equivalent, plus a local Post- Graduate Certificate in Education or Diploma in Education (PGCE).

Announcing this today (Monday), Chairman of the ACTEQ, Professor Felice Lich Mak, stressed: "To improve the quality of education in our schools, it is important to have an all-trained teaching profession.

"People entering the profession should be familiar with local curriculum development and our students' needs. This applies irrespective of whether these teachers are local or non-local graduates."