TNAG-0251-FCO40-287-Education-policy-of-government-of-Hong-Kong-1970 — Page 7

OUTR

Gaps in technie it training

Hong Kong's thriving industries require more than 10,000 skilled craftsmen annually. But the yearly output of skilled workers is a mere 1,000. In a Colony where half the population derives its livelihood from industry, there is every reason why technical and vocational educa- tion be an integral part of the edu- cation system. Belatedly, the gov- ernment is embarking on a new policy to make up for past neglect.

Government statistics show that only 2.2% of primary school leavers enter secondary technical schools. Less than 3% of the US$46 million education budget is spent on se- condary technical education, and a bare 2% on post-secondary technical education. And the enrolment in the Colony's 10 secondary technical schools is a meager 6,300.

Paradoxically, the private sector (which needs and eventually em- ploys skilled labor) takes almost no interest in technical education. A government report observes, "In

Asian Industry

general, private bodies do not find it easy to run technical schools, and it seems that the main burden of providing this type of education is likely to fall on the government." Yet, the government spends less than 5% of its education budget on technical education.

Pressing need. The average pri- mary school leaver has little choice. A place in a secondary school is both expensive and difficult to secure. Barely 50% of the children admitted to secondary schools ever reach Form V, and barely 25% ever receive the final certificate.

The secondary school curriculum conforms to the traditional concept of Chinese learning and is designed to produce clerks for trading houses. It suited a society which respected the white collar and despised the blue overall. Governor Sir David Trench said last year, “One of our most pressing needs is to introduce some kind of post-primary educa. tion for those children who, for one

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reason or another, do not enter secondary schools with courses lead- ing to school certificates. These are the children, moreover, who are most likely to need practical skills when they grow up."

This sort of recognition is at last resulting in some commendable ini- tiatives at other levels. Last month, the government inaugurated the Morrison Hill Technical Institute, second such in the Colony. When fully operational, it will produce about 1,000 technical graduates each year. It hopes to institute part- time courses for another 3,000 students. With 400 part-time teach- ers, Morrison Hill will offer 70 full and part-time courses designed for the needs of Hong Kong industry.

More coming. In the future, four more institutes will be established at a cost of US$4.6 million. Each of them will accommodate 1,200 full-time students, 500 part-time day students and 10,000 part-time night students. The minimum time for building the institutes, equipping them and producing the first crop of graduates is six years. The go- vernment is striving to reduce this gestation period. Else, two-thirds of the Colony's youngsters will be forced to enter the Colony's major industries (textiles, plastics and elec- tronics) as either semi-skilled or unskilled workers.

While the administration is be- ginning to make up for lost time, the employers are yet to come for- ward with complementary projects on any sizable scale. They could launch apprenticeship programs to top up intramural instruction. For, however efficient formal technical education may be, there is no real substitute for training within in- dustry.

October 1970

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