TNAG-1221-FCO40-1531-Annual-address-by-Sir-Edward-Youde--Governor-of-Hong-Kong--t-1983 — Page 3

GRS 1800-

UNCLASSIFIED

LAST

AFER

HKK 01/1

RECEIVED IN RID

18 NOV 1983

14

FN HONG KONG 17020OZ NOV 83

TO ROUTINE BRUSSELS

TELEGRAM NUMBER 22 OF 17 NOVEMBER

how she co-speech the

INDEX

INFO HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON, GENEVA, NEW YORK, WASHINGTON AND F C 0.

FOR HONG KONG GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVES.

SUBJECT: DEBATE ON THE MOTION OF THANKS FOR THE GOVERNOR'S ADDRESS IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 1983/84.

THE FOLLOWING HIGHLIGHTS THE MAIN THEMES OF THE DEBATE ON THE GOVERNOR'S ADDRESS.

EDUCATION

2. MEMBERS REFERRED TO THE EDUCATION SYSTEM, STRESSED THE IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION AND THE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DEMANDS FOR EDUCATION IN HK. SEM AGREED THAT THERE IS A NEED FOR WIDER AND MORE VARIED CURRICULAR OFFERINGS HN THE SCHOOLS, THAT MORAL EDUCATION SHOULD PERMEATE THE WHOLE CURRICULAR THAT THERE IS A NEED TO IMPROVE STANDARDS IN BOTH CHINESE AND ENGLISH IN SCHOOLS.

3. THE VIEWS ON THE JSEA AND THE DESIRABILITY OF THE PROVISION OF SUBS HOMIZED EDUCATION UP TO FORM V WERE DIVERSE. ONE WORRY IS THAT NOT ENOUGH FORM LEAVERS SEEM TO BE OPTING FOR CRAFT EDUCATION AND STEPS ARE BEING TAKEN TO MAKING IT MORE ATTRACTIVE. THE CURRICULA FOR FORMS V AND V WILL ALSO BE REFORMED TO MAKE *T MORE RELEVANT TO THE NEEDS OF THE LESS ACADEMIC.

4. COMMENTS ON THE OVERALL REVIEW OF EDUCATION HAVE BEEN RECEIVED AND THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL WILL BE CONSULTED ON THE PLANNED IMPLEMENTATION OF THOSE STRATEGIES THAT PROVE ACCEPTABLE TO THE PUBLIC AND THE GOVERNMENT (SEM).

5. ON THE TERTIARY EDUCATION SECTOR, PROPOSALS FOR A THIRD UNIVERSITY, EXTERNAL DEGREE PROGRAMMES,. 'OPEN UNIVERSITY' (DISTANCE LEARNING) AND THE EXTENSION OF EDUCATION TELEVISION WERE NOTED AND ARE BEING EXAMINED (D OF E/SEM).

SOCIAL SERVICES AND SECURINTY

5. F K PU CALLED FOR LEGISLATIVE CONTROLS ON PRIVATE HOMES FOR THE ELDERLY. THE SITUATION WILL BE WATCHED AND CONTROLS WILL BE PROPOSED SHOULD DEVELOPMENTS INDICATE THAT THEY ARE NECESSARY.

7. AS REGARDS PUBLIC ASSISTANCE GRANTS, THE GOVERNMENT IS COMMITTED TO MAINTAINING THE PURCHASING POWER OF THESE GRANTS AS BORNE OUT BY STATISTICS.

18.SEVERAL