TNAG-0971-FCO40-1190-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-in-the-UK-1980 — Page 234

CRB 265

UNCLASSIFIED

FH HONG KONG 0696322 FEB 809

TO BINE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON

TELEGRAM NUMBER 126 OF 6 FEBRUARY

INFO F C O

FOR BRAY FROM DAVIES,

Nick 243/2

d

RECEIVED IN REGSTRY NO. 51

07 FEB 1980

DESK OFFICER

INDEX

PA

NIT

YOUR TELNO 98: ENGLISH TUITION FOR REFUGEES.

по

J2.2

REGISTRY Action Taken

AW 8/2

$24.

1. THE PROPOSAL BY THE BRITISH COUNCIL ENVISAGES A COURSE OF 3 WEEKS (15 HOURS TUITION PER WEEK) FOR REFUGEES PRIOR TO DEPARTURE FOR UK. THIS IS DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY TO TEACH THEM SOME BASIC ENGLISH TO ENABLE THEM TO SURVIVE IN AN ENGLISH SPEAKING ENVIRONMENT AND TO GIVE THEM A GOOD START TOWARDS A MORE LENGTHY COURSE IN THE UK. IN ADDITION, IT IS ALSO DESIGNED TO TELL REFUGEES SOMETHING ABOUT LIFE IN BRITAIN, AND TO PREPARE THEM PSYCHOLOGICALLY FOR SETTLEMENT IN UK. TO THAT EXTENT, THE COURSE WILL BE USEFUL AND DESERVES FUNDING FROM THE HOME OFFICE.

2. NOW THAT 4,000 REFUGEES HAVE BEEN SELECTED FOR THE UK RESETTLEMENT PROGRAMME AND BEARING IN MIND THAT IT WILL TAKE SEVERAL WEEKS BEFORE ANY DEPART FROM HONG KONG I CONSIDER THE

COURSE SHOULD BE PRESSED STRONGLY,

3. THE BRITISH COUNCIL STAFF MEMBER WHO HAS DESIGNED AND WILL RUN

THIS COURSE HAS SOME EXPERIENCE IN TEACHING ENGLISH TO NEW IMMIGRANTS IN THE UK, AND THE COURSE ITSELF 13 PATTERNED ON HER

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE IN THIS AREA.

4. MEANWHILE, IN CASE THE CHRISTIAN AID 15 WILLING TO FINANCE ENGLISH TUITION FOR REFUGEES IN GENERAL, I HAVE ASKED THE LOCAL UNHCR OFFICE, WHO CO-ORDINATES LANGUAGE TRAINING AND COUNTRY ORIENTATION FOR REFUGEES, TO PUT UP A PROPOSAL (WITH COSTS),.

I WILL PASS THIS ON TO YOU AS SOON AS WE GET IT.

MACLEHOSE

PILSS HK & GD

ORD

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