Social_Welfare_Annual_Report_1968-1969 — Page 43

available mainly by Government and, to a smaller extent, by the Social Work Training Fund and overseas universities.

102. Six officers of the Department completed further training during the year: two obtained Master of Social Science degrees from McGill University and the University of British Columbia in Canada; three others obtained Diplomas, two in Applied Social Studies (Universities of Newcastle and Swansea) and one in Social Leadership (St Francis Xavier University). One officer graduated as a Bachelor of Social Sciences from the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

103. At the end of March 1969, nine officers of the Department were pursuing higher professional training both locally and abroad. Their courses include such subjects as audio-communicative disability, child studies, the teaching of mentally retarded children, and the residential care of children and young persons. Seven of them were studying in British, American and Canadian Universities, and two at the University of Hong Kong.

CHAPTER VI

CONCLUSION

CONSULTATION AND CO-OPERATION WITH VOLUNTARY

WELFARE ORGANIZATIONS

104. Government assumes an overall responsibility for the welfare of the community, and provides some of the more essential social welfare services to achieve this end, but any report on the overall provision of services would be inadequate without a recognition of the contribution of the very large number of voluntary organizations which devote themselves wholly or in part to meeting the social welfare needs of Hong Kong people. These range from organizations such as the Kai Fong Associations, district and clansmen's associations, tradi- tional local charitable organizations, and other voluntary welfare agencies of local origin to international agencies; in many cases they have extended their service from original relief purposes to more sophisticated kinds of social welfare work. Hong Kong is fortunate in having these organizations and benefits appreciably from the very con- siderable amount of time, effort and funds they have expended in promoting the well-being of its people: to them the Social Welfare Department once again expresses its warm thanks.

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