THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 1977
3
$4M SECONDARY SCHOOL FOR LANTAU ISLAND
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THE DEVELOPMENT OF EDUCATION IN THE NEW TERRITORIES RECEIVED ANOTHER BOOST TODAY WITH THE LAYING OF THE FOUNDATION STONE FOR THE FIRST GOVERNMENT SUBSIDISED SECONDARY SCHOOL ON LANTAU ISLAND.
THE SECRETARY FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES, MR. DAVID AKERS-JONES, OFFICIATED AT THE CEREMONY FOR THE $4 MILLION BUDDHIST FAT HO MEMORIAL COLLEGE AT TAI O ON THE ISLAND.
THE COLLEGE, THE FOURTH TO BE SPONSORED BY THE HONG KONG BUDDHIST ASSOCIATION, IS SCHEDULED FOR COMPLETION BEFORE THE END OF THIS YEAR. IT WILL PROVIDE PLACES FOR 400 STUDENTS.
THE PROJECT OCCUPIES A 30,000 SQ. FT. SITE GRANTED BY THE GOVERNMENT AND ALSO FINANCED BY A GOVERNMENT SUBSIDY OF $3.35 MILLION. THE REST IS BEING DONATED BY THE PO LIN MONASTERY.
IN A SPEECH DELIVERED IN CANTONESE, MR. AKERS-JONES SAID THE NEW SCHOOL FORMED PART OF THE OVERALL DEVELOPMENT OF TAI 0.
NEAR THE SCHOOL IS THE SITE FOR PUBLIC HOUSING FOR TAI 0, HE SAID, AND THIS WILL IMPROVE HOUSING CONDITIONS FOR 3,000 PEOPLE AS PART OF THE PROGRAMME TO PROVIDE HOUSING NOT ONLY IN THE NEW TOWNS BUT ELSEWHERE WHERE THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT LOCAL NEED.
+ THE BUILDING OF THE SCHOOL, THE PROVISION OF HOUSING AND FACILITIES FOR RECREATION, COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES, SHOPPING AND SMALL INDUSTRY WILL TRANSFORM TAI O OVER THE COURSE OF THE NEXT FEW YEARS,+ HE SAID.
MR. AKERS-JONES PRAISED THE HONG KONG BUDDHIST ASSOCIATION AND THE PO LIN MONASTERY FOR THEIR EFFORTS AND ENTHUSIASM IN THE FIELD OF EDUCATION AND OTHER SOCIAL ACHIEVEMENTS.
HE SAID THE SCHOOL PROJECT REPRESENTED A COMBINED CONTRIBUTION FROM, AND COOPERATION BETWEEN, THE ASSOCIATION AND THE GOVERNMENT.
+A SIMILAR EFFORT WILL BE MADE IN THE BUILDING OF ANOTHER SECONDARY SCHOOL NEAR MUI WO, TO WHICH THE HEUNG YEE KUK IS MAKING CONTRIBUTION, ON THE OTHER CORNER OF THE ISLAND IN THE FUTURE, HE SAID.
EARLIER, MR. WONG WAN-TIN, VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE HONG KONG BUDDHIST ASSOCIATION, SAID THE SCHOOL WAS NAMED AFTER THE LATE REV. FAT HO WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR RENOVATING AND REORGANISING THE PO LIN MONASTERY, THE LARGEST IN HONG KONG.
MR. WONG SAID THE ASSOCIATION ALWAYS HAD THE GOAL OF HELPING THOSE IN NEED, WITH SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON EDUCATION AND SOCIAL WELFARE WORK.
/+BY SEPTEMBER