OFFICIAL RECORD of PROCEEDINGS Friday, 28 January
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LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 28 January 2005 3973 OFFICIAL RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Friday, 28 January 2005 The Council continued to meet at Nine o'clock MEMBERS PRESENT: THE PRESIDENT THE HONOURABLE MRS RITA FAN HSU LAI-TAI, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE JAMES TIEN PEI-CHUN, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE ALBERT HO CHUN-YAN IR DR THE HONOURABLE RAYMOND HO CHUNG-TAI, S.B.ST.J., J.P. THE HONOURABLE LEE CHEUK-YAN THE HONOURABLE MARTIN LEE CHU-MING, S.C., J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE DAVID LI KWOK-PO, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE FRED LI WAH-MING, J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE LUI MING-WAH, J.P. THE HONOURABLE MARGARET NG THE HONOURABLE MRS SELINA CHOW LIANG SHUK-YEE, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE JAMES TO KUN-SUN THE HONOURABLE CHEUNG MAN-KWONG THE HONOURABLE CHAN YUEN-HAN, J.P. 3974 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 28 January 2005 THE HONOURABLE BERNARD CHAN, J.P. THE HONOURABLE CHAN KAM-LAM, J.P. THE HONOURABLE MRS SOPHIE LEUNG LAU YAU-FUN, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE LEUNG YIU-CHUNG THE HONOURABLE SIN CHUNG-KAI, J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE PHILIP WONG YU-HONG, G.B.S. THE HONOURABLE WONG YUNG-KAN, J.P. THE HONOURABLE JASPER TSANG YOK-SING, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE HOWARD YOUNG, S.B.S., J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE YEUNG SUM THE HONOURABLE LAU KONG-WAH, J.P. THE HONOURABLE LAU WONG-FAT, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE MIRIAM LAU KIN-YEE, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE EMILY LAU WAI-HING, J.P. THE HONOURABLE CHOY SO-YUK THE HONOURABLE ANDREW CHENG KAR-FOO THE HONOURABLE TIMOTHY FOK TSUN-TING, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE TAM YIU-CHUNG, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE ABRAHAM SHEK LAI-HIM, J.P. THE HONOURABLE LI FUNG-YING, B.B.S., J.P. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 28 January 2005 3975 THE HONOURABLE TOMMY CHEUNG YU-YAN, J.P. THE HONOURABLE ALBERT CHAN WAI-YIP THE HONOURABLE FREDERICK FUNG KIN-KEE, J.P. THE HONOURABLE AUDREY EU YUET-MEE, S.C., J.P. THE HONOURABLE VINCENT FANG KANG, J.P. THE HONOURABLE WONG KWOK-HING, M.H. THE HONOURABLE LEE WING-TAT THE HONOURABLE LI KWOK-YING, M.H. DR THE HONOURABLE JOSEPH LEE KOK-LONG THE HONOURABLE DANIEL LAM WAI-KEUNG, B.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE JEFFREY LAM KIN-FUNG, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE MA LIK, J.P. THE HONOURABLE ANDREW LEUNG KWAN-YUEN, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE ALAN LEONG KAH-KIT, S.C. THE HONOURABLE LEUNG KWOK-HUNG DR THE HONOURABLE KWOK KA-KI DR THE HONOURABLE FERNANDO CHEUNG CHIU-HUNG THE HONOURABLE CHEUNG HOK-MING, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE WONG TING-KWONG, B.B.S. THE HONOURABLE RONNY TONG KA-WAH, S.C. 3976 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 28 January 2005 THE HONOURABLE CHIM PUI-CHUNG THE HONOURABLE PATRICK LAU SAU-SHING, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE ALBERT JINGHAN CHENG THE HONOURABLE KWONG CHI-KIN THE HONOURABLE TAM HEUNG-MAN MEMBER ABSENT: THE HONOURABLE LAU CHIN-SHEK, J.P. PUBLIC OFFICERS ATTENDING: THE HONOURABLE DONALD TSANG YAM-KUEN, G.B.M., J.P. THE CHIEF SECRETARY FOR ADMINISTRATION THE HONOURABLE STEPHEN IP SHU-KWAN, G.B.S., J.P. THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY, AND SECRETARY FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND LABOUR THE HONOURABLE ELSIE LEUNG OI-SIE, G.B.M., J.P. THE SECRETARY FOR JUSTICE THE HONOURABLE MICHAEL SUEN MING-YEUNG, G.B.S., J.P. SECRETARY FOR HOUSING, PLANNING AND LANDS PROF THE HONOURABLE ARTHUR LI KWOK-CHEUNG, G.B.S., J.P. SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER THE HONOURABLE JOSEPH WONG WING-PING, G.B.S., J.P. SECRETARY FOR THE CIVIL SERVICE DR THE HONOURABLE PATRICK HO CHI-PING, J.P. SECRETARY FOR HOME AFFAIRS LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 28 January 2005 3977 DR THE HONOURABLE SARAH LIAO SAU-TUNG, J.P. SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, TRANSPORT AND WORKS THE HONOURABLE FREDERICK MA SI-HANG, J.P. SECRETARY FOR FINANCIAL SERVICES AND THE TREASURY THE HONOURABLE STEPHEN LAM SUI-LUNG, J.P. SECRETARY FOR CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS THE HONOURABLE AMBROSE LEE SIU-KWONG, I.D.S.M., J.P. SECRETARY FOR SECURITY DR THE HONOURABLE YORK CHOW YAT-NGOK, S.B.S., J.P. SECRETARY FOR HEALTH, WELFARE AND FOOD CLERKS IN ATTENDANCE: MR RICKY FUNG CHOI-CHEUNG, J.P., SECRETARY GENERAL MS PAULINE NG MAN-WAH, ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL MRS JUSTINA LAM CHENG BO-LING, ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL MR RAY CHAN YUM-MOU, ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL 3978 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 28 January 2005 MEMBERS' MOTIONS MOTION OF THANKS Continuation of debate on motion which was moved on 26 January 2005 PRESIDENT (in Cantonese): We will now move on to the fourth debate session. The policy areas for this session are "education, home affairs and manpower". DR FERNANDO CHEUNG (in Cantonese): Madam President, education provides many poor people an opportunity to improve their lot, all the parents in this world expect their children to receive higher education, and the Chief Executive also stated in the policy address that "in our transition to a knowledge-based economy, we will insist on substantial investment in education." However, it is unfortunate that in the past few years, the Chief Executive seemed to be quite resolute in cutting the education budget since the reunification. The Chief Executive also mentioned in his policy address of 2000 that he had set the target of providing 60% of our senior secondary school leavers the opportunity to receive tertiary education. He also mentioned in this year's policy address that the overall participation rate of the relevant age group in tertiary education had increased to 53%. However, let us not forget that of all the subsidized places, only 18% could receive tertiary education, and the remaining students will have to pursue self-financed places, most of them being associate degree programmes. In fact, in the past few years, the Government has been reducing the number of all subsidized sub-degree places and will reduce them in the coming two years. Given the market orientation principle, I am afraid that post-secondary and tertiary education will turn into a commercial activity. In fact, how can we foster the quality of local talents? After these debt-ridden undergraduates have completed the associate degree programmes and self-financing degree courses, can they find a job in society? I am deeply concerned about it and I hope the Government will not cut the education budget in a more resolute and determined way. Madam President, I so submit. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 28 January 2005 3979 MR PATRICK LAU (in Cantonese): Madam President, the theme of this policy address is to work together for social harmony and Mr TUNG took pains to explain how to help the poor and needy. I believe the most thorough-going measure to help the poor and needy is to start with education. Only through an effective education policy will it be possible to help society as a whole extricate itself from poverty. Poor people want to rely on themselves to improve their lot and the poor in Hong Kong have backbones. They do not care about those who do not understand them. What they need are opportunities and suitable jobs. In the past, I had a lot of students who lived in public rental housing. After they had become professionals, they then had the opportunity to extricate themselves from poverty. About the proposal in the policy address to allocate additional resources to strengthen the support on learning, after-school learning, tuition and interest activities for children from poor families, I have reservations. This is because the proposal is impractical and cannot help those children. We can only find poor people giving tuition to well-to-do students. In the past, I gave tuition to a lot of students. Poor people do not want you to make them receive tuition. Therefore, I do not consider this to be the ultimate solution to their problem. I believe what matters most is that schools perform their functions duly and attain the educational ideals of cultivating the morals, intellect, physique, social skills and aesthetics of students. It is more important to provide a suitable learning environment which will enable students to achieve whole-person development. Given the policy address' proposal to vigorously promote the development of creative industries in the hope that they will drive the future economic development of Hong Kong, a large number of creative talents will be required. I believe that cultivating the intellect and the aesthetics is of the utmost importance. Apart from attracting people from overseas, it is equally important to nurture local talents. There is no need for me to say this as an architect, and we all know that people engaged in creative activities are not inspired out of the blue. This kind of creative trait and personality has to be cultivated from a young age. How can students' creativity be nurtured from a young age? I believe this is closely related to school education. It is very important. Schools can 3980 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 28 January 2005 take the lead in encouraging society, in particular the parents of students, to accept education that fosters creativity and understand that ditching spoon-feeding and rote learning is the ideal way to nurture creative talents. I believe that small-class teaching is crucial to promoting creativity education. Many Members have already pointed out in the debate on small-class teaching that in a large-class environment, teachers are in fact at the end of their tether and cannot understand the learning progress and actual needs of each and every student.