**********************************
The Secretary for Education (SED), Mr Eddie Ng Hak-kim, will go to Shenzhen this morning (May 6) to pay a courtesy call on the Director of the Shenzhen Municipal Education Bureau, Ms Guo Yurong.
Mr Ng met with Ms Guo in Shenzhen in July 2013 and last August to exchange views on education issues of mutual concern in order to deepen co-operation between Hong Kong and Shenzhen. They will continue to have dialogue on the operation of classes for Hong Kong students by minban schools in Shenzhen and the development of sister school activities at today's meeting.
Mr Ng will take the opportunity to visit and conduct class observation at a primary school that operates classes for Hong Kong students in Shenzhen. In the current school year, there are nine primary schools in Shenzhen offering places to 2,200 Hong Kong students. In the 2015/16 school year, two more primary schools in Shenzhen will operate classes for Hong Kong students, providing about 200 additional places for the parents concerned to choose from.
Mr Ng will then visit a local secondary school to learn about the experience and achievements of sister school co-operation between Hong Kong and Shenzhen. To date, there are 159 pairs of sister schools between the two places. Sister school activities have all along been well received by schools, with active participation from teachers and students. The Education Bureau will therefore introduce in the 2015/16 school year a three-year pilot scheme to provide each local sister school in Hong Kong with an annual subsidy of $120,000 as well as professional support to facilitate their further development.
Officers accompanying the SED to visit Shenzhen will include the Permanent Secretary for Education, Mrs Marion Lai, and the Administrative Assistant to the SED, Mr Rick Chan. They will return to Hong Kong this evening.
Ends/Wednesday, May 6, 2015
Issued at HKT 07:00
NNNN
