TNAG-1981-FCO40-2814-UK-Hong-Kong-Scholarship-Scheme-donation-to-the-UK-Governme-1989 — Page 91

CONFIDENTIAL

0 02

MDHIAN 7375

TO BE PURSUED. IN EITHER CASE IT WOULD MAKE SENSE TO SET UP THE FUND WITH A SUBSTANTIAL CAPITAL DONATION SO THAT IT COULD CONTINUE TO OPERATE ON ITS OWN INCOME. PRIVATE SECTOR DONATIONS COULD BE SOUGHT TO ADD TO AN INITIAL SUM FROM THE BRITISH COUNCIL. THE TWO

VARIANTS ARE:

(A) THE CREATION OF A PRINCE OF WALES FUND FOR TRAINING IN NEW TECHNOLOGIES. ACTION IS ALREADY IN HAND TO CREATE A STATUTORY FUND FROM WHICH LOANS WOULD BE MADE TO INDIVIDUAL FIRMS AND COMPANIES TO HELP TOWARDS THE COST OF TRAINING MIDDLE-MANAGEMENT STAFF IN THE APPLICATION OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES. THOSE TECHNOLOGIES WHICH CAN BE TAUGHT FORMALLY WOULD BE IMPARTED THROUGH EXTENSION COURSES PROVIDED BY OUR TRAINING INSTITUTIONS AND UNIVERSITIES. THOSE TECHNOLOGIES WHICH CANNOT BE TAUGHT FORMALLY WOULD BE TRANSFERRED BY WAY OF OVERSEAS WORKING ATTACHMENTS TO BE ARRANGED FROM HERE. BY

AND LARGE THE NEW TECHNOLOGIES WE WOULD SUPPORT WOULD BE THOSE WHICH HELP BUSINESSES ACHIEVE PRODUCTIVITY GROWTH, QUALITY IMPROVEMENT AND VALUE CREATION. OUR FUND RAISING TARGET IS HKD70 MILLION (ABOUT POUNDS 5 MILLION), THE ANNUAL EARNINGS FROM WHICH SHOULD SUFFICE TO SUPPORT 400 TRAINING LOANS EACH YEAR. THE ASSOCIATION OF THE PRINCE OF WALES, COUPLED WITH A SUBSTANTIAL BRITISH COUNCIL DONATION, WOULD GIVE THE FUND AN IMMENSE BOOST. UNDER THIS SCHEME, TRAINING ATTACHMENTS WOULD NOT NECESSARILY BE CONFINED TO UK, BUT THERE IS NO REASONS WHY THE BRITISH COUNCIL CONTRIBUTION COULD NOT BE THUS EARMARKED.

(B) IMMERSION ENGLISH LANGUAGE TRAINING FOR TEACHER TRAINEES: WE

ARE KEEN TO RAISE THE STANDARD OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS AMONGST OUR TEACHERS IN TRAINING. THE INCLUSION OF A SUMMER IMMERSION

COURSE IN THE UK FOR ALL TEACHER TRAINEES UNDERGOING FULL TIME COURSES IN OUR COLLEGES OF EDUCATION COULD MAKE A SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION TO RAISING THE LEVEL OF SKILL OF THOSE ENTERING THE TEACHING PROFESSION IN THE 1990S. ( A MAXIMUM OF 1000 TRAINEES A YEAR WOULD BE INVOLVED, AT A ROUGH COST OF HKD 25 MILLION (2 MILLION POUNDS) PA.)

6. ON YOUR OTHER SUGGESTIONS IN TUR FOR PROFESSIONAL TRAINING IN

HONG KONG, THE POSITION IS THAT THE ORGANISATION OF SEMINARS, SYMPOSIA AND SUMMER SCHOOLS IS ALREADY BEING UNDERTAKEN BY BOTH THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTORS. THE PROPOSAL AS OUTLINED IS THEREFORE UNLIKELY TO HAVE MUCH IMPACT AND WILL IN OUR VIEW DO LITTLE TO STEM

THE OUTFLOW OF PROFESSIONALS FROM HONG KONG.

7. IF A CHOICE HAS TO BE MADE, MY PREFERENCE WOULD BE FOR THE MAJOR

PAGE

2

CONFIDENTIAL