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The Chief Executive, Mr Tung Chee Hwa, visited a secondary school and a technology company producing flexible substrates in Sha Tin this (Tuesday) afternoon to see for himself the application of IT in education and the development of high technology industry in Hong Kong.

Mr Tung first visited Shatin Government Secondary School, one of the ten pilot secondary schools that have been selected and given an extra $6 million to implement additional IT facilities and programmes to enhance the quality of education.

Being more IT ready, schools in the pilot scheme would disseminate their experience and good practices in using IT to other schools.

The Chief Executive noted that Shatin Government Secondary School was equipped with the most suitable network and modern IT facilities. He was pleased to learn that teachers and students alike had taken a keen interest in using these facilities in teaching and learning.

Mr Tung said, "The Government has set aside funds to provide more IT training for teachers, computers to students and technical support for schools. We are determined to ensure that we achieve the aim of integrating the use of IT with our education system for the benefit of teachers and students alike."

Mr Tung toured the school, which is connected to the Internet and maintains an Intranet to facilitate Internet access, video on demand, test on demand and revision on demand. Students can also make use of IT facilities to broadcast audio and video programmes they produced to fellow schoolmates.

His next stop was a technology company in Siu Lek Yuen where he toured the production line. The two-year old company manufactures flexible substrates, a kind of semiconductor IC (integrated circuits) packaging interconnect materials, with a technology possessed by not many manufacturers in the world.

The company received a loan for the undertaking of research and development from the Applied Research Fund administered by the Industry Department as well as funding support for staff training under the New Technology Training Scheme administered by the Vocational Training Council.

The Chief Executive said, "Hong Kong needs to strengthen its support for technological development, build up a critical mass of fine scientists, engineers, skilled technicians and venture capitalists, and encourage the development of a significant cluster of technology-based businesses.

"The Government has a clear policy objective, namely, to enhance the capability of our firms to innovate, and to stimulate technological development and encourage its commercialisation and application in Hong Kong."

During his visit to Canada and the United States next week, Mr Tung will be visiting a school in Toronto and high technology companies in the Silicon Valley to update himself on latest developments overseas in these two areas.

End/Tuesday, May 4, 1999

Photo

Photo 1The Chief Executive, Mr Tung Chee Hwa, having a chat with students about using computers in the learning process in the computer room cum language laboratory of Shatin Government Secondary School.

Photo 2 The Chief Executive, Mr Tung Chee Hwa, being briefed on the production of flexible substrates during a visit to a technology company in Siu Lek Yuen.

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