THURSDAY, AUGUST 23, 1990
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ED CONCERNS OVER CHILDREN TRAVELLING TO/FROM SCHOOL
THE FOLLOWING IS ISSUED IN REPLY TO MEDIA ENQUIRIES PETITION TO GOVERNMENT HOUSE TODAY (THURSDAY) BY THE ASSOCIATION FOR THE CONCERN OF PRIMARY 1 SCHOOL PLACES:
THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT SHARES WITH PARENTS THE SAME OVER YOUNG CHILDREN TRAVELLING TO AND FROM SCHOOL, ESPECIALLY WHO HAVE JUST GRADUATED FROM KINDERGARTEN TO PRIMARY 1.
ON
THE
PARENTS
CONCERN THOSE
THE DEPARTMENT HAS TAKEN THIS INTO CONSIDERATION IN ALLOCATING PRIMARY 1 SCHOOL PLACES.
FROM KINDERGARTEN
CHILDREN GRADUATING
TO PRIMARY 1 ARE ALLOCATED SCHOOLS WHICH ARE WITHIN REASONABLE DISTANCE FROM THEIR HOMES IN THEIR OWN DISTRICT, UNLIKE THE SECONDARY SCHOOL PLACES ALLOCATION SYSTEM IN WHICH OLDER STUDENTS WOULD BE ALLOCATED SCHOOLS ON A TERRITORY-WIDE BASIS.
THE PETITION TODAY IS OVER THE ALLOCATION OF SOME 100 FROM LONG PING PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATE IN YUEN LONG TO TWO SCHOOLS, ALSO IN YUEN LONG.
CHILDREN PRIMARY
A DELEGATION HEADED BY SOME YUEN LONG DISTRICT BOARD MEMBERS VISITED THE DEPARTMENT IN JUNE ΤΟ DISCUSS THEIR DEMANDS FOR RE-ALLOCATION WHICH WERE CONSIDERED CAREFULLY AND SYMPATHETICALLY.
IT WAS THEN POINTED OUT TO THEM THAT THE TWO SCHOOLS THEIR CHILDREN WILL BE ATTENDING ARE ONLY ABOUT 15 MINUTES WALK THEIR HOMES.
THE PARENTS ALSO POINTED OUT THAT THE USE OF VACANT CLASSROOMS IN THREE NEW PRIMARY ESTATE.
WHERE
FROM
MAKE
DEPARTMENT SHOULD
SCHOOLS IN LONG PING
THEY WERE TOLD THAT THE VACANT CLASSROOMS HAVE BEEN RESERVED FOR THE CHILDREN OF ABOUT 500 FAMILIES, BECAUSE OF THE SOUTHERN BY-PASS PROJECT, WHO WILL BE RELOCATED TO THE ESTATE FROM TAI KEI LENG, SHUNG CHING SUN TSUEN, SHAM CHUNG AND YAU TIN TSUEN, AND OTHER CHILDREN IN THE DISTRICT MOVING UP TO PRIMARY 1 IN THE COMING YEAR.
THEY ALSO SUGGESTED ENLARGING THE PRIMARY 1 CLASSES IN THE ESTATE SCHOOLS TO ACCOMMODATE THEIR CHILDREN, BUT IT WAS POINTED OUT TO THEM THAT IT WAS NOT DESIRABLE AS IT WOULD BE UNFAIR то TEACHERS AND PUPILS.
PARENTS FOR
THE DEPARTMENT UNDERSTANDS THE DESIRE OF THESE THEIR CHILDREN TO STUDY IN MORE CONVENIENT LOCATIONS AND HOPES THEY, IN TURN, WILL UNDERSTAND THAT THE DEPARTMENT WILL TRY ITS BEST WHENEVER POSSIBLE TO FULFIL THE WISHES OF PARENTS AND PUPILS.
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