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The Education and Manpower Bureau (EMB) and the Hong Kong Council of Social Service (HKCSS) today (December 20) held a launch ceremony to announce details of the Computer Recycling Scheme (the Scheme) and call for support from the community.
More than 30 partners will collaborate in various aspects, including donating computers, sponsoring operating system and software applications, providing refurbishment service, conducting parents IT training courses and offering warranty and hotline support service.
"In Hong Kong, the focus of IT in education has moved from 'learning how to use computers' in the past to 'using computers to facilitate learning'. Instead of just staying in the classrooms reading textbooks, students can learn by using computers and internet, in accordance with their own schedules, needs and interests. They can get access to the boundless IT world and enjoy a higher degree of autonomy for studying. So, computers and the internet have become an integral part of learning nowadays," Permanent Secretary for Education and Manpower, Mrs Fanny Law, said.
According to a survey by the Census and Statistics Department from June to August, 2004, about 20,000 students aged 10 and over who were studying in primary and secondary schools did not have computers at home. As such, the scheme aims to provide recycled computers and internet services to those families with students of Primary One to Secondary Seven who are not able to afford IT services.
"If students from low-income families cannot get access to computers and end up with poor academic results, they would have more difficulties to overcome poverty in future," the Chief Executive of HKCSS, Ms Christine Fang, said.
Past experience showed that to refurbish a computer up to a certain standard would require different parts from two or three old computers. Thus, a large quantity of old computers will be needed for the scheme to succeed. "I have signed on a joint letter with Ms Christine Fang to call for donation of computers and the letter will be distributed to practitioners, corporations, private sector, professional bodies, chambers and schools. We hope to receive positive feedback and students will be able to have their own computers at home to facilitate their learning," Mrs Law said.
"Offering a recycled computer is not the only solution to combating poverty. We have to provide needy students with a fair opportunity to allow them to have a similar learning environment with their counterparts," Ms Fang stressed.
For students of Primary One to Secondary Seven during the 2005-06 school year with no computers at home or have no internet connectivity, application for refurbished computers are welcome provided that they possess one of the following criteria: coming from a family receiving Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA); receiving grants from Senior Secondary Fee Remission Scheme and/or School Textbook Assistance Scheme administrated by Student Financial Assistance Agency; being endorsed by the assessor of the Scheme as coming from a family with special needs.
Meanwhile, Mrs Law added that the participation of parents was extremely important to ensure the proper use of computers and internet for students at home. She encouraged parents to pay more attention to their children on learning with internet at home. "We will arrange a training session for recipients' parents so that they can motivate their children towards appropriate use of IT and proper attitude towards IT ethical issues," Mrs Law said.
"The Computer Recycling Scheme is a good start. In the foreseeable future, I hope that the Government can allocate more resources while the commercial sector can make continued donations. These can help NGOs organise more projects. With tripartite effort from the Government, the commercial sector, and NGOs, we can turn Hong Kong into a more digitally inclusive society," Ms Fang said.
The success of the scheme would be the best Christmas gift to society. "I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to the organisations and schools that have participated actively in the scheme and provided all kinds of sincere support," Mrs Law said. "I believe that with the endeavour from all of us, opportunities for learning for the beneficiaries would multiply enormously. We would also nourish a group of talented people for the better future of Hong Kong."
Further details of the scheme, donation or application procedures can be found at the scheme's website: http://www.pc-recycle.hk. For enquiries, please call the hotline at 2876 2464 or e-mail to info@pc-recycle.hk.
Ends/Tuesday, December 20, 2005
Issued at HKT 15:48
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