TNAG-2308-FCO40-3345-Future-of-Hong-Kong-shipping-register-1991 — Page 207

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The Government should recognise the right of local Chinese holding Liberian, Panemanian or Chinese certificates by arranging for retraining programmes for them to upgrade their standards. It would however be impractical to retrain and examine an experienced seagoing master or engineer from elementaries as at present. Accordingly, it is suggested that :·

i) Class 1 and Class 2 updating courses should be provided at the Hong Kong Polytechnic to those serving officers and engineers who wish to have a validated Hong Kong certificate. Admittance to a course would depend on the seatime and grade of the applicant. Details of these requirements should be discussed by the proposed Shipping Advisory Board;

ii) Chinese language (supplemented by English) should

be used as the teaching medium;

iii) a college-based examination should be conducted

at the end of each course (as in Class 3 bridging examination) and a validation certificate would be issued to those who pass the examination. These passees could then proceed to sit for the Marine Departmnt Class 1 examination after obtaining further seatime;

iv) the examination conducted by Marine Department

should continue. Cantonese should be adopted for the Class 4 examination as soon as possible, and for higher grades when a sufficient number of Chinese examiners have been trained;

v) validation certificates issued by the Polytechnic would be equivalent to the certificates issued by the Marine Department for working on board but priority would be given to the latter for working. on short-based jobs. (IST)

The

Officers should hold certificates of competency issued after training and examination in Hong Kong. current practice of compulsory attendance on a training course prior to sitting for a certificate competency examination should be continued. As regards officers who hold certificates issued by FOC countries, they should be obliged to attend upgrading courses in order that they may attain the required standards of competency. (POLY (DMME))