ENG-1991 — Page 180

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EDUCATION

work. There are numerous private schools offering language, business and computer courses. The British Council, Alliance Francaise, Goethe Institut and Japanese Consulate all offer language courses.

All tertiary institutions except the University of Science and Technology and Lingnan College operate extra-mural departments or divisions of continuing education. These offer an enormous variety of courses, some at degree level, in such areas as languages and translation, business management, and professional development for teachers, social workers and others.

The Education Department provides formal courses of remedial and second chance education for adults at primary and secondary level, courses of personal development at post-secondary level, and courses for serving teachers to upgrade their knowledge and skills in cultural subjects. Less formal activities including hobby and fitness classes are provided in adult education and recreation centres run by the department. During the year government subventions supported 328 adult education projects organised by 66 voluntary agencies.

The British Council

The aims of the British Council in Hong Kong are to promote an understanding of Britain, its language, its education and its culture and to encourage the interchange of persons and the development of educational and cultural links between Hong Kong and the UK.

English language teaching is the major programme of the council in Hong Kong and over 32 600 Hong Kong residents attended courses at the English Language Centre in 1990–91. In addition, a summer school was held for 6 200 secondary school students.

Specially-tailored English courses were run at a number of Hong Kong's major business organisations, and, in conjunction with Radio Television Hong Kong, the council provided radio courses for schools and for business-letter writing. Teacher training courses were run during the year, including one Royal Society of Arts Diploma and three Royal Society of Arts Certificate courses for Teaching English as a Foreign Language.

The council also works with the Hong Kong University, the Chinese University and the Institute of Language in Education, in the promotion and teaching of English. It sponsors conferences, workshops and seminars in the teaching of English and also jointly sponsors scholarships for top students, business executives and journalists.

With additional resources in 1990-91, the council established a new Educational Exchanges Unit which arranged over 40 new higher education links with the six major higher education institutions in Hong Kong, in the fields of manufacturing engineering, industrial design, computing, medicine, public and social administration, and pure and applied sciences. These links resulted in visits in both directions for joint research and curriculum development, including the setting up of new undergraduate, masters and postgraduate professional courses in subjects such as nursing, pharmacy and law.

The council's library and information services are open to all adult residents of Hong Kong and cover all aspects of British life and culture with an emphasis on English literature and teaching the English language. The collections include books, magazines, newspapers, video tapes, audio tapes and music on CD.

The Education Counselling Service provides free and impartial advice to students on education opportunities available in Britain. In 1990–91, 30 000 students used the service for information about studying in British universities, polytechnics and colleges.

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