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Following is a question by the Hon Wong Kwok-hing and a written reply by the Secretary for Home Affairs, Dr Patrick Ho (in the absence of the Secretary for Education and Manpower), in the Legislative Council today (April 25):
Question:
Will the Government inform this Council of:
(a) the current numbers of primary and secondary school students who cross the boundary to attend school every day from Shenzhen to Hong Kong and those who do so vice versa;
(b) the total number of students enrolled in rural schools at present and in each of the past five years, and the number of cross-boundary students among them, together with a breakdown by districts; and
(c) the number of rural schools which ceased operation due to under-enrolment in each of the past five years?
Reply:
Madam President,
(a) Students who cross the boundary every day from the Mainland to attend schools in Hong Kong concentrate in the North District and Yuen Long District. According to the information provided by schools, in the 2006/07 school year, there are about 750 and 2 750 cross-boundary students at the secondary and primary levels respectively in these two districts. The Education and Manpower Bureau does not have statistics on the number of Hong Kong students who cross the boundary every day to attend schools in Shenzhen.
(b) At present, there is no strict definition for rural schools, nor are there any schools specifically registered as rural schools. Rural schools generally refer to schools situated in remote rural areas of the New Territories, which were established by the local villagers to provide education for their children. The total enrolment and the number of cross-boundary students studying in these rural schools in the North District and Yuen Long District in the recent five years (including this school year) are listed at Annex I.
(c) The number of rural schools which have ceased operation as a result of the implementation of the "Consolidation of Under-utilized Primary Schools" policy since 2003 are listed at Annex II.
Ends/Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Issued at HKT 12:31
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