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The Secretary for Education, Mr Eddie Ng Hak-kim, today (January 24) visited Wong Tai Sin District, where he toured a secondary school and an integrated service centre for children and youth, and met with District Council members.
Accompanied by the District Officer (Wong Tai Sin), Mr William Shiu, Mr Ng first went to the Wong Tai Sin District Council, where he exchanged views with members on district-wide issues of concern to them. He also took the opportunity to introduce the education-related initiatives announced in the new Policy Address.
He said that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has attached great importance to education. Since the reunification and regardless of economic changes, education has been the largest spending area of the Government's total expenditure, accounting for about one-fifth of the total. In 2012-13, the total expenditure on education was estimated at $79.1 billion, of which nearly $60 billion was recurrent expenditure, representing an increase of more than 60 per cent over the recurrent expenditure in 1997-98 and reaching an all-time high.
Mr Ng then visited Kit Sam Lam Bing Yim Secondary School, where he was briefed by the school principal, Ms Lau Yiu-hung, and student leaders on the latest developments of the school. He also toured the campus and chatted with students taking part in school activities, including some with hearing impairment and non-Chinese speaking (NCS) students, on their life at school.
"The purpose of education is to nurture talents, enabling every student to develop his or her potential to the fullest and pursue personal goals. This year the Policy Address has announced additional measures to support students with special educational needs and NCS students," Mr Ng said.
"The Education Bureau (EDB) has commenced a new round of professional development programmes for teachers. The School-based Educational Psychology Service is being extended progressively, with the target of covering all secondary and primary schools in the public sector by the 2016-17 school year. Starting from the 2013-14 school year, the EDB will raise the ceiling of the annual Learning Support Grant from $1 million to $1.5 million per school to strengthen support for schools in putting integrated education in place.
"To assist NCS students in learning Chinese, the EDB will refine the Summer Bridging Programme for NCS junior primary students. We are also planning for an incentive grant, in collaboration with the Standing Committee on Language Education and Research, with a view to enhancing the professional competency of Chinese-language teachers in teaching NCS students. Besides, we will, based on the Chinese Language Assessment Tools tailored for NCS students and a longitudinal study, seek to set appropriate targets for their acquisition of the Chinese language."
Mr Ng also met with representatives of the Wong Tai Sin District Secondary School Heads Association. Noting a temporary decline in the Secondary One student population in the coming few years, he reiterated that the EDB would implement a basket of targeted relief measures with an aim of preserving the stability and strength of the schools and the teaching force as well as raising the overall quality of education in the interests of students.
Mr Ng then went to the Hong Kong Playground Association's Jockey Club Chuk Yuen (South) Integrated Service Centre for Children and Youth to see for himself the various facilities and the homework tutorial service in the centre. He listened to youths and volunteers sharing their experience and encouraged them to continue to participate in community activities as a means to develop their potential and contribute to the community.
Ends/Thursday, January 24, 2013
Issued at HKT 18:51
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