XN000022-1995-05-17 — Page 58

(c)

(d)

(e)

(f)

(g)

(h)

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identified a number of departments such as Housing and Home Affairs for a pilot scheme to develop practical steps to promote on a systematic basis the wider use of Chinese;

identified the need for a change of the language culture in the civil service, particularly among bi-lingual officers whose competence in Chinese might have deteriorated through lack of practice;

identified the need to step up training for both local and overseas officers in their language skills. All local Administrative Officers would be required to undergo basic Putonghua training by 1997. Already those who are on probation are required to achieve a certain standard in Putonghua before their confirmation. Starting from this year, new recruits will have to attend courses in written Chinese to update them on their ability to write modern practical Chinese relevant to their work. Overseas permanent and pensionable officers who have opted to remain in service after 1997 will be given intensive training in Cantonese, or re- training and where practical written Chinese;

highlighted the need for technology support in terms of the provision and standardisation of hardware and software for Chinese word processing throughout the civil service;

identified the need to train over 13,000 General Grades staff mainly typists and secretaries in the next three years in Chinese word processing skills; and

advised on the need to bid for resources in the 1996/97 estimates to implement these ideas.

As can be seen from the above account, the approach is necessarily evolutionary. We have to take account of the fact that English has so far been the major medium of communication; the varying standard of Chinese among civil servants; the nature of work and circumstances of different departments; as well as the need to strike the right balance so that the greater use of Chinese would not be at the expense of English nor efficiency. It is therefore not possible to give a specific timetable as requested by the Hon Man Sai-cheong. We will however keep the Public Service Panel of this Council informed of progress as the Working Group moves along.

End/Wednesday, May 17, 1995