The Secretary for Education, Mr Kevin Yeung, visited Sham Shui Po District this afternoon (November 3) to learn more about school support services for newly arrived children and students in need. He also met with members of the Sham Shui Po District Council and the District Fight Crime Committee.
 
     Accompanied by the District Officer (Sham Shui Po), Mr Damian Lee, Mr Yeung first visited Nam Wah Catholic Secondary School and observed various student activities on campus. He also met the school's supervisor, managers, principal, teachers, parents and students and listened to them speak about daily teaching and learning activities as well as share their views on education.
 
     He learnt that the school has admitted quite a number of newly arrived children and provided these students with special support, including orientation programmes, to help them become familiar with the school and the local community. The school also runs the School-based After-school Learning and Support Programme to support students in need.
 
     "To provide schools with a more stable environment and additional teachers to cater for the needs of students, the Education Bureau has increased the teacher-to-class ratio for all public sector primary and secondary schools by 0.1 across the board starting from this school year. In addition, we have regularised the Community Care Fund's Pilot Project on Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCOs), by phases in three years, to provide each public sector ordinary primary and secondary school with an additional post in the teaching staff establishment to facilitate the assignment of a designated teacher in schools as a SENCO to support integrated education," Mr Yeung said.
 
     He said he hoped that the new initiatives could enhance the quality of education for the benefit of students.
 
     Mr Yeung then went to the Sham Shui Po District Council, where he met with its Chairman, Mr Ambrose Cheung, and its other members, as well as the Chairman of the District Fight Crime Committee, Mr Li Hon-hung, and other committee members, to exchange views on education, law and order, and other community issues.
 

Ends/Friday, November 3, 2017
Issued at HKT 17:35

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