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Following is the transcript of remarks by the Secretary for Education, Mr Eddie Ng Hak-kim, at a media session after attending a radio programme today (January 19):
Reporter: How would you respond to the grey area that the cross-border students' relatives can be the guardians for primary registration?
Secretary for Education: Just want to make a supplement here. We have a very effective mechanism and procedure right now to verify the true address to be registered during the registration process, and the parents are advised to make sure that they provide the actual, the truthful addresses. What does that mean? That means the kids will be living and studying in the same place, and preferably be taken care of by close relatives. In these cases, one of the reported cases ... like a grandmother ... grandmother is also a close relative as well. Actually the kid is living in that area, that will be reflective of the truthful address. On the other hand, we have the mechanism to verify by action as well. If you provide a false address, very soon if you are found out, the awarded place will be taken away. We have, in the last three years, 46 cases happened in this particular area and the places assigned being taken away as a penalty.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)
Ends/Sunday, January 19, 2014
Issued at HKT 13:27
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