TNAG-2460-FCO40-3581-Hong-Kong-annual-report-for-1992-1992 — Page 26

- 5 -

15.

These

In June the Education Commission published its fifth

report, on the Teaching Profession. During the public consultation period the Commission received warm support for its recommendations to improve the working environment in schools, enable teachers to give more attention to individual students, provide graduate posts in primary schools, and

upgrade the five teacher education institutes into an

autonomous Institute of Education. The Government therefore

decided to implement major improvements in 1993. include the provision of additional teachers to primary and

secondary schools; a

decrease in class size by 5 places, beginning with Primary 1 and moving up one level each year; preparations to create the new Institute of Education; and development support for part-time degree courses in primary

education.

The Commission's fourth and fifth reports

together set out a coherent strategy for providing Hong Kong

with quality education into the next century.

Retirement Protection

16.

A public consultation

paper

entitled 'A

Community-wide Retirement Protection System' was released in The recommendations in the paper will be the light of public comment received consultation period. It is hoped to on retirement protection by the end

October 1992.

considered further in

during the three-month

introduce legislation

of 1993.

Environment

17.

of the 118

targets set out in the 1989 White Paper

Pollution, 73 have been completed, 27 are on target and 18

are outstanding.

on

18.

for

new

billion

The Government is committed to a priority programme

sewerage and will set aside not less than HK$3 an early commencement of the priority

to facilitate