XN000022-1996-10-30 — Page 27

- 10 -

I should like to extend my special thanks to HKTA's former chairman, Mr Martin Barrow, for his devoted service and contribution to the tourism industry, and the current Chairman, Mr Y S Lo. Under Mr Lo's leadership, Hong Kong's tourism industry is sure to achieve further advancement. I would also like to express my thanks to the Executive Director, Mrs Amy Chan and her colleagues within the HKTA. With their dedication to the industry, Hong Kong is assured of retaining its title as the most popular travel destination in Asia.

Last but not least. I urge your support for the industry to maximise its contribution to Hong Kong's economy.

End

Open Learning Institute Annual Report

Following is the speech by the Secretary for Education and Manpower, Mr Joseph W P Wong, in tabling the Opening Learning Institute of Hong Kong Annual Report 1995-96 and Audited Accounts in the Legislative Council today (Wednesday):

Mr President,

I have great pleasure in presenting to you the Seventh Annual Report and Financial Statements of the Open Learning Institute of Hong Kong (OLI) for the year from 1 April 1995 to 31 March 1996, which are tabled before this Council today.

Over the past seven years, the OLI has established itself as Hong Kong's major provider of continuing education by distance learning. It is playing an increasingly important role in upgrading and updating the qualifications and skills of our working population. To date the Institute offers over 160 sub-degree, undergraduate and postgraduate courses through its Schools of Arts and Social Sciences, Business and Administration, Education, and Science and Technology. It also offers a range of short courses through its Centre for Continuing and Community Education. OLI student enrolment reached above 20 000 in the year under report, and by the end of that year, a total of 2 400 working adults had successfully completed their courses of studies and received their degrees.

I should like to highlight a significant event in the history of the OLI, which took place earlier this month. On the recommendation of the Hong Kong Council for Academic Accreditation, the Government decided that the OLI should assume the responsibility for accrediting its own degree courses from 1 October 1996 onwards, subject only to periodic external institutional reviews by the HKCAA.