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Following is the full text of the speech delivered by the Director of Information Technology Services, Mr Lau Kam-hung, at the launching ceremony of "Explore iT" - the IT Appreciation for Parents programme organised by the Information Technology Services Department today (Sunday):

Honoured guests, ladies and gentlemen,

It is my great pleasure to welcome all of you to this official launching ceremony of "Explore iT" - the IT Appreciation for Parents programme.

Information technology (IT) has now become an integral part of our daily life. The rapid development and wide adoption of digital technology has led to great changes. These changes are not simply in the context of data processing or computing. They are changes that affect how we communicate with each other, how we organise our daily activities, how we educate the younger generation and how we run business.

Children and young people are among the most active citizens of the Information Age, and are often the first in their family to use new media or technology. Some parents of young people are enthusiastic about new technologies; other may still have reservation on information technology. However, there is no doubt that information technology is here to stay and is changing the way young people learn, play, and get ready for their work life. Our programme, "EXPLORE iT", introduces this new trend in the world to the parents of secondary school students; boosts their confidence and jump-starts their involvement to make sure that the new technology will truly benefit their children.

Schools are where many parents first encounter computers and information technology. As a matter of fact, most schools today are already using information technology to assist in the teaching and learning process. The most effective way to help parents appreciate IT is therefore to involve the participation of schools. We are confident that with the participation and assistance of the schools, this programme will gain more attention from the students' parents; introduce to them what information technology is; and help them share with their families the right perspective in using information technology.

Government alone cannot arouse sufficient awareness among the parents and the younger generation on the positive perspective in using information technology. In the IT Appreciation for Parents programme, we look to you - the school principals and the teachers to help us in our work, to provide us with the feedback, and to identify more opportunities in the positive application of information technology to benefit our next generation.

In entering the new millenium, one of the aims of the Information Technology Services Department is to enhance its services to the community. I believe that the launching of this programme today will mark another milestone in our partnership with the user departments like the Education Department and the Hong Kong Police Force, and with non-government organisations such as the Chinese University of Hong Kong, in achieving the best results in our services to the community.

Finally, I would like to thank you for coming today and to thank all those whose hard work has made possible the successful launching of the IT Appreciation for Parents programme.

Thank you.

End/Sunday, December 12, 1999

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