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MONDAY, MARCH 5, 1984
SCHOOLS TO GET REPLACEMENT PLAYGROUNDS
A SUM OF ABOUT $4.8 MILLION HAS BEEN APPROVED BY THE GOVERNMENT FOR REPLACEMENT COVERED PLAYGROUNDS IN EIGHT PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN TUEN MUN AND SHA TIN.
A SPOKESMAN FOR THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT SAID TODAY THAT CONSTRUCTION OF THE PLAYGROUNDS - FIVE IN TUEN MUN AND THREE IN SHA TIN - WILL START SHORTLY AND IS LIKELY TO BE COMPLETED IN SIX MONTHS.
THREE OF THE SCHOOLS ARE IN ON TING ESTATE, TUEN MUN, AND ONE EACH IN YAU 01 AND WU KING ESTATES, ALSO IN TUEN MUN. THE OTHER THREE SCHOOLS ARE IN LUNG HANG, SUN TSU1 AND CHUN SHEK ESTATES IN SHA TIN.
THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT THE ORIGINAL COVERED PLAYGROUNDS OF THESE SCHOOLS HAD BEEN CONVERTED INTO CLASSROOMS TO PLACE THE LARGE NUMBER OF THE 6-11 AGE GROUP IN THE LOCALITY.
+THE REPLACEMENT PLAYGROUNDS WILL BE USED TO CONDUCT PHYSICAL EDUCATION LESSONS, FOR PLAY DURING RECESS, AND FOR ASSEMBLY PURPOSE BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL, PARTICULARLY ON RAINY DAYS, + HE SAID.
IN ADDITION TO THESE EIGHT SCHOOLS, THE GOVERNMENT ALSO PLANS TO PROVIDE REPLACEMENT PLAYGROUNDS IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS WHERE THEIR COVERED PLAYGROUNDS WILL BE CONVERTED INTO CLASSROOMS TO MEET A SHORT-TERM DEMAND.
THE SPOKESMAN ADDED THAT THE BDUGAT FON DEPARTMENT WAS ALSO CONSIDERING ALTERNATIVES TO TACKLE THE SHORTAGE OF PRIMARY PLACES IN THE NEW TOWNS, RESULTING FROM A CHANGE IN THE POPULATION PATTERN.
+ONE SOLUTION IS USING SECONDARY SCHOOLS TEMPORARILY AS PRIMARY SCHOOLS. ANOTHER IS TO BUILD +FLEXI-SCHOOLS+ WHICH CAN BE USED AS PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN THE FIRST INSTANCE AND THEN COVERTED INTO SECONDARY SCHOOLS AS THE AGE STRUCTURE OF THE POPULATION CHANGES, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
MEANWHILE, HE NOTED THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAS SINCE LAST YEAR ADOPTED A REVISED PLANNING STANDARD IN THE PROVISION OF PRIMARY SCHOOL PLACES WHICH TAKES INTO ACCOUNT LOCAL VARIATIONS IN THE AGE DISTRIBUTION OF THE POPULATION,
IT IS EXPECTED THAT THE NEW STANDARD WILL MORE ACCURATELY GAUGE PRIMARY SCHOOL PLACES REQUIREMENT IN THE NEW TOWNS.