ENG-1973 — Page 20

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THE COMMUNITY

in the late forties and early fifties. Consequently, they are less inclined to look upon Hong Kong as a temporary home where the one preoccupation is the making of

money.

The young predominate in Hong Kong society, where 55 per cent are under the age of 25. Therefore, the government has directed a large part of its community programmes to this alert and lively sector of the population.

In 1973 a special inter-departmental committee on youth services was set up to examine the needs of the young and to co-ordinate efforts to fulfil them. The com- mittee will provide a link between the various bodies which are concerned with youth services. It will seek to identify the problems and aspirations of young people, with particular attention to education, employment, group activities, sport, recreation and community involvement.

Considerable progress has already been made in developing and expanding youth services. Government departments take special account in their plans of young people; a number of important committees, councils and advisory bodies have major interests in this field. Among these are the Board of Education, the Youth Employ- ment Advisory Service, the Local Employment Service, the district youth recreation co-ordinating committees and the central co-ordinating committee for youth recrea- tion. In addition, two new councils were appointed in the autumn of 1973—the Training Council and the Council for Recreation and Sport.

Created as a result of the report submitted last year by the Industrial Training Advisory Committee, the Training Council is a permanent body, which will advise the government on measures necessary to provide a comprehensive system of train- ing geared to meet the developing needs of industry and, at a later date, of commerce and services.

The task of the Council for Recreation and Sport is to ensure that facilities for recreation and sport are expanded as far as resources will allow. Its terms of reference include responsibility for recommending special services and facilities to meet the leisure-time needs of young people.

Hong Kong's Summer Youth Activities Programme, which has attracted wide- spread attention overseas for its scope and imagination, continues the steady expan- sion which has taken place since it was initiated seven summers ago. Involving numerous government departments and voluntary agencies, it now caters for almost 1.5 million youngsters annually.

Although more pronounced among the young, new appetites and expectations are awakening throughout the community, at all age levels. They result from higher living standards and greater leisure opportunities.

Wages and incomes have increased steadily during the past decade in both absolute and real terms. For example, even allowing for the increase in the cost of living as measured by the consumer price index, the average daily wage for industrial workers has increased by 46 per cent since March 1964. At the same time, a shortage