TNAG-1419-FCO40-1902-Hong-Kong-Parliamentary-Sub-Committee-on-Race-Relations-and--1985 — Page 228

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REFUGEE INVOLVEMENT IN TEACHING

8. REFUGEES WHO ARE ACADEMICALLY QUALIFIED ARE RECRUITED BY THE

VOLUNTARY AGENCIES OR THE CORRECTIONAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT AS

TEACHERS AND TEACHING ASSISTANTS. THEY ARE OF COURSE

PARTICULARLY HELPFUL IN THE TEACHING OF VIETNAMESE SUBJECTS.

THEY ARE PAID IN ACCORDANCE WITH RATES PRESCRIBED BY THE

CORRECTIONAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT AND ARE PROVIDED WITH

PRE-SERVICE AND IN-SERVICE TEACHER TRAINING. ABOUT SEVENTY

REFUGEES ARE WORKING IN THIS WAY IN THE CLOSED CAMBS (14 AT

BOWRING, 20 AT CHI MA WAN, 23 AT HEI LING CHAU AND 11 AT CAPE

COLLINSON). THE REST OF THE TEACHERS ARE PROVIDED BY THE

VOLUNTARY AGENCIES. ALL TEACHING ACTIVITIES ARE SUPERVISED BY

QUALIFIED TEACHERS ON THE STAFF OF THE CORRECTIONAL SERVICES

DEPARTMENT.

VOCATIONAL TRAINING

9. RUDIMENTARY TRAINING PROGRAMMES COVERING WOODWORK,

TAILORING, SEWING, KNITTING AND EMBROIDERY ARE CURRENTLY

CONDUCTED IN ALL THE CLOSED CAMPS. IN ORDER TO PREPARE REFUGEES

FOR RESETTLEMENT, THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT AND THE UNHCR ARE

WORKING WITH THE VOLUNTARY AGENCIES TO DEVELOP A PROPERLY

CO-ORDINATED VOCATIONAL TRAINING PROGRAMME GEARED TOWARDS JOB

OPPORTUNITIES IN RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES. THE HONG KONG

GOVERNMENT HAVE ASKED THESE COUNTRIES FOR THEIR VIEWS ON THE

BASIC SKILLS WHICH WOULD BEST PREPARE REFUGEES IN THE CLOSED

CAMPS FOR RESETTLEMENT.

10. HOWEVER, THE ATTITUDE OF THE REFUGEES TOWARDS VOCATIONAL

TRAINING IS AGAIN NOT ALWAYS ENCOURAGING. INITIAL ENTHUSIASM IS

NOT SUSTAINED AND EVEN SOME EXPENSIVE TRAINING COURSES, SUCH AS

METAL WORKING, HAVE HAD TO BE ABANDONED. IN ORDER TO SUSTAIN THE

REFUGEES' INTEREST, IT IS ENVISAGED THAT A BALANCE WILL HAVE TO

BE DRAWN BETWEEN THOSE TYPES OF VOCATIONAL TRAINING WHICH WOULD

BEST PREPARE REFUGEES FOR RESETTLEMENT, AND TRAINING WHICH IS

BASED PRIMARILY ON COTTAGE INDUSTRIES, ORIENTATED TOWARD THE

MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES WHICH CAN BE SOLD AND THE PROCEEDS GIVEN

TO THE REFUGEES.

11. AT THE HEI LING CHAU CENTRE A PURPOSE-BUILT VOCATIONAL

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