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The Secretary for Education and Manpower, Professor Arthur KC Li, today (July 13) met students from Sham Shui Po and got a taste of life in the district.
Professor Li was very concerned about education for children from low-income families. During a tea gathering at Tack Ching Girls' Secondary School, he had a long chat with about a dozen students from the district, as well as their parents and teachers, to learn about their lives and work.
He was pleased to note that the Education and Manpower Bureau's many initiatives, especially the School-based After-school Learning and Support Programmes, were bearing fruit in alleviating inter-generational poverty and fostering the healthy development of students from disadvantaged families.
Professor Li also went to see for how needy students' applications for grants and loans were handled at the Student Financial Assistance Agency located in the Cheung Sha Wan Government Offices. He gave colleagues there a thumbs-up for their hard work.
Hoi Lai Estate is one of the latest large-scale public housing projects in the district, complete with leisure facilities for the young residents. "I am glad to see that children here have such nice playgrounds. I feel much younger watching them play," said Professor Li as he strolled around the estate.
He ended his tour with a visit to the Dragon Centre, a large shopping mall in Sham Shui Po, where he was impressed by the wide array of goods on display. He revealed a penchant for handicrafts and showed great interest in a shop selling hand-made umbrellas. He picked one for his wife, making the trip to the district a rewarding one both for his work and his family.
Ends/Thursday, July 13, 2006
Issued at HKT 17:43
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