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Chief Executive Donald Tsang talked at length about the SAR Government's plan to promote civil education of the younger generation in his 2007-2008 Policy Address delivered on Tuesday (October 10), including a proposal to make the Beijing Olympic Games next year as a key theme for the civic education campaign.
Meanwhile, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department decided to open a number of sports facilities throughout the SAR between July 1 and September 30 next year for local residents to use free of charge as part of a government plan to popularize the Olympic Spirit.
During his second policy address as chief executive, Donald Tsang turned to the topic of better civic education by quoting President Hu Jintao, who told Tsang and other senior SAR officials during his visit in early July to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to Chinese sovereignty that civic education is key to ensuring a bright future for Hong Kong.
The chief executive said Hong Kong residents' sense of national affinity has grown steadily in the past 10 years and it is now time to gear up relevant efforts for further progress in this undertaking in the next decade. The SAR government will do its utmost to drive home the message of patriotism, he added, particularly among the younger generation, so as to instill a strong sense of belonging to Hong Kong as well as the nation, the will to contribute one's bit to the nation and the pride to be a Chinese citizen.
He also emphasized that civic education is an ongoing project for the whole society and the SAR government will join hands with people from all walks of life, especially those from the education circle, and work closely with them to achieve the goal through whatever means, including school regular classes, special training for teachers, extracurricular and exchanges with mainland students. The aim is to enhance local youths' understanding and knowledge of the motherland and their national affinity. ■春生 資深翻譯員
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