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The Steering Committee on Selection, Quality Assurance and Review for the e-Textbook Market Development Scheme (EMADS) held its first meeting today (June 5).
The Finance Committee of the Legislative Council approved on June 1 this year the commitment of $50 million for the Education Bureau to launch the EMADS, which aims to facilitate and encourage the participation of potential and aspiring e-textbook developers for the healthy and sustainable development of an e-textbook market in Hong Kong in the longer run, as well as to try out a quality vetting and assurance mechanism for e-textbooks with a view to developing a full-fledged recommended textbook list for e-textbooks.
The Steering Committee was appointed by the Secretary for Education to oversee the implementation of the EMADS. Chaired by the Deputy Secretary for Education (Curriculum and Quality Assurance), the Steering Committee comprises experienced school principals and teachers, representatives from the business and the information technology sectors, parents, representatives of the Consumer Council, the Hong Kong Education City Limited and the Education Bureau. Membership of the committee is as follows:
Chairman:
Deputy Secretary for Education (Curriculum and Quality Assurance)
Deputy Chairman:
Mr Leo Kung
Members:
Dr Mak Chi-keung
Dr Chow Chi-kin
Ms Yan Kit-ying
Mr Man Ho-wai
Professor Jimmy Lee
Mr Gerry Ma
Mr Christopher Yu
Ms Connie Lau (Representative of the Consumer Council)
Representative of the Hong Kong Education City Limited
Representatives of the Education Bureau
"The target implementation schedule of the EMADS is to invite applications at the end of the second quarter or the start of the third quarter of 2012. We expect that e-textbooks developed by successful applicants under the EMADS will be in the market in early or mid-2014 at the earliest for use in the 2014/15 school year," a spokesman for the Education Bureau said.
Ends/Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Issued at HKT 19:30
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