TNAG-2923-FCO40-4198-Visits-and-proposed-visits-by-Alastair-Goodlad--Minister-of--1993 — Page 40

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CONFIDENTIAL

YOUR TELNO 817: VISIT BY MR.GOODLAD: 11-13 OCTOBER EDUCATION.

BRIEF ON

1.

SEM'S BRIEFING AT 1430 HRS 11 OCTOBER WILL COVER TWO MAJOR

AREAS:

(A)

PROGRESS MADE IN RECENT YEARS ON:

(I)

SCHOOLS SECTOR

-

QUANTITATIVE EXPANSION AND PLANS AND

ACHIEVEMENTS IN QUALITATIVE IMPROVEMENTS,

(II) TERTIARY SECTOR

A

TERTIARY EXPANSION AND EVOLUTION

OF TERTIARY EDUCATION,

(III) TECHNICAL TRAINING TRAINING AND RETRAINING TO COPE WITH ECONOMIC RESTRUCTURING; AND

(B) CURRENT ISSUES OF INTEREST;

-

(I) LANGUAGE HOW HONG KONG IS IMPROVING PROFICIENCY IN ENGLISH TO MAINTAIN AND ENHANCE ITS POSITION AS AN INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS CENTRE, AND

(II) INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS HOW HONG KONG MEETS THE NEEDS OF THE EXPATRIATE BUSINESS COMMUNITY.

BACKGROUND BRIEF ON EDUCATION IN HONG KONG.

2. EDUCATION IS VALUED AS THE KEY TO PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. 1.2 MILLION, ONE FIFTH OF THE

POPULATION, ARE IN FULL-TIME EDUCATION. 21 BILLION HONG KONG DOLLARS A YEAR IS SPENT ON EDUCATION, THE LARGEST SINGLE ITEM OF RECURRENT EXPENDITURE, ACCOUNTING FOR 17.2 PERCENT OF THE TOTAL GOVERNMENT BUDGET.

PRE-SCHOOL.

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