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Following is the speech by the Chief Executive, Mr Donald Tsang, at the foundation stone laying ceremony of Harrow International School Hong Kong in Tuen Mun today (May 26):
Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
It is my great pleasure to officiate at the foundation stone laying ceremony of Harrow International School Hong Kong.
The arrival of Harrow in Hong Kong marks the start of a new chapter in the development of our international school sector.
Here in Tuen Mun, Harrow will be able to blend the finest traditions of quality British education with the dynamism of Hong Kong and vibrancy of our region.
If past performance is any indication, the quality of the school's graduates will be something special.
Over the years, Harrow has nurtured some of Britain's top talent. Winston Churchill is perhaps the best known Old Harrovian. You may also be interested to know that another Old Harrovian, the singer James Blunt, will be performing in Hong Kong in July.
But it was back in the 19th century that Hong Kong had its first high-profile encounter with a Harrow alumnus.
Lord Palmerston, one of the many British Prime Ministers educated at Harrow, was Foreign Secretary when he first came across Hong Kong some 170 years ago. He famously described Hong Kong, which was a rather desolate place in those days, as "a barren rock with nary a house upon it".
If Lord Palmerston were alive today, I am sure he would be impressed with the progress of our city and our new union with his alma mater.
Ladies and gentlemen, the Hong Kong Government is committed to developing a vibrant international school sector. This underpins our aspirations as Asia's world city and a regional education centre. In fact, this site was one of the four we allocated for the development of international schools in 2009.
Through allocating new sites and vacant premises as well as in-situ expansion, more than 5 000 additional international school places will come on stream in the coming few years.
As the third Harrow International School in this region, we are delighted that Harrow is bringing its Asian experience from Beijing and Bangkok to Hong Kong.
Harrow International School stands out, not only for its history and calibre, but also because it will be Hong Kong's first international boarding school. This will add a new dimension to our educational scene. By attracting students from across the region, it will also add to Hong Kong's cultural diversity.
Ladies and gentlemen, Hong Kong has long since evolved from a "barren rock" into an international business and financial centre. The Government strives to meet the needs of growing numbers of overseas families coming to Hong Kong for work or investment. We will continue our dialogue with the international schools, Consuls General and the business sector to ensure an adequate provision of school places.
I congratulate Harrow International School and its team on taking forward this project successfully. We look forward to welcoming the first intake of 1 500 students when the school's operations commence in August next year.
Thank you very much.
Ends/Thursday, May 26, 2011
Issued at HKT 14:51
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