were also being met. It is the traditional role of the private sector of education in any community to cater for the wishes of parents who do not wish to make use of the education service provided from public funds. Private schools by their very nature therefore are pre-eminently suited to giving the public what it is prepared to pay for. In Hong Kong, private schools also provide secondary school places for those students who would prefer, but are unable to obtain, a place in a Government or aided School. Public education however should seek to achieve a balance of interest between the wishes of parents and pupils on the one hand and the requirements of the community on the other. We thought it unrealistic to have an education system based solely on the wishes of pupils and parents without any relevance to the require- ments of Hong Kong and equally undesirable for the education system to be dictated by Hong Kong's social and economic requirements even assuming that these requirements in the years ahead could be accurately predicted.
5. This led us to consider what might fairly be stated, in brief terms, to be the needs of the pupil and the needs of Hong Kong.
6. As far as the needs of the pupil are concerned we feel that he requires from the educational system the opportunity to cultivate all his potentials to the optimum in order that he will be able to earn his living, to appreciate his leisure time and to be a good citizen.
7. The requirements of the community are that the educational system should enable pupils to acquire knowledge and expertize which will enable them to learn how to operate and carry on the economic functions present in Hong Kong and also make them well-balanced citizens. The Federation of Hong Kong Industries in a submission to us had this to say on their assessment of Hong Kong's needs.
"In this technological age scientific knowledge and methods are applied to industry to produce goods which are competitive in price and quality and which satisfy world market demands. It is generally acknowledged that progress in the economic and social development of a country depends, particularly in the absence of other resources, on its human resources and is directly related to the level of skills and knowledge of its work force . .
Hong Kong depends largely, both economically and socially, on its manufacturing industry and will do so increasingly. Manufac- turing industry provides about 43% of the gross domestic product,
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