TNAG-1419-FCO40-1902-Hong-Kong-Parliamentary-Sub-Committee-on-Race-Relations-and--1985 — Page 227

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5.

AT

AT THE CAPE COLLINSON AND HEI LING CHAU CLOSED CENTRES,

EDUCATION IS PROVIDED BY THE WORLD RELIEF VOLUNTARY

AGENCY. WORLD RELIEF HAVE AGREED TO INCREASE THEIR

SERVICES IN BOTH CAMPS TO TWO DAILY 4-HOUR SESSIONS.

CAPE COLLINSON THE NEW ARRANGEMENTS WILL TAKE EFFECT FROM

SEPTEMBER. AT HEI LING CHAU SESSIONS WILL INITIALLY BE

INCREASED FROM 2 TO 3 HOURS, RISING GRADUALLY TO 4 HOURS

NEXT YEAR.

TO MAKE THESE IMPROVEMENTS POSSIBLE, THE HONG KONG

GOVERNMENT HAVE PROVIDED 6 EXTRA CLASSROOMS FOR BOTH THE BOWRING

AND CHI MA WAN CENTRES, AND PROPOSE TO CONVERT ONE DORMITORY

BUILDING INTO CLASSROOMS AT CAPE COLLINSON. (CONVERSION OF THE

DORMITORY SHOULD BE COMPLETED BY SEPTEMBER 1985, BUT THIS WILL

DEPEND ON RESETTLEMENT BEING MAINTAINED AT A SUFFICIENT RATE FOR

THE POPULATION OF THE CENTRE TO FALL TO 500 FROM ITS PRESENT

LEVEL OF 600.)

6. IN EACH OF THE CLOSED CAMPS, THE VOLUNTARY AGENCIES

ALSO PROVIDE KINDERGARTEN CLASSES AND PLAYSCHOOLS FOR

THE YOUNGER CHILDREN.

ADULT EDUCATION

7. ADULT EDUCATION CONCENTRATES ON ENGLISH LANGUAGE TRAINING,

WHICH IS SEEN AS A PREREQUISITE FOR OBTAINING EMPLOYMENT IN ALL

THE MAIN RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES. CLASSES IN OTHER SUBJECTS ARE

ARRANGED TO MEET THE DEMANDS OF THE REFUGEES THEMSELVES. THEY

ARE USUALLY BASED ON THE SUBJECTS TAUGHT TO CHILDREN, AND INCLUDE

VIETNAMESE, MATHEMATICS, SOCIAL STUDIES AND HEALTH EDUCATION.

HOWEVER, ALTHOUGH INTEREST IN EDUCATION AMONG BOTH ADULTS AND

CHILDREN HAS BEEN STIMULATED BY THE KNOWLEDGE THAT FLUENCY IN

ENGLISH AND REGULAR ATTENDANCE AT SOME FORM OF EDUCATION MAY HELP

WIN A RESETTLEMENT PLACE, THE LEVEL OF PARTICIPATION IN EDUCATION

HAS ALWAYS BEEN ENCOURAGING: THE REFUGEES'INITIAL ENTHUSIASM

TENDS TO WANE QUICKLY, AND IT IS OFTEN DIFFICULT TO PERSUADE THEM

TO CONTINUE. THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT AND UNHCR NEVERTHELESS

HOPE TO DEVELOP A COMMON EDUCATION FRAMEWORK FOR ADULTS WHICH,

LIKE THAT FOR CHILDREN, CAN BE INTRODUCED IN ALL THE CLOSED CAMPS

ON A COORDINATED BASIS.

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