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WEDNESDAY, MAY 13, 1992
SIR, I WISH TO DIGRESS A LITTLE TO ANSWER A SPECIFIC POINT MADE BY MR CHEUNG MAN-KWONG ON THE APPARENT DISCREPANCY BETWEEN LOCAL AIDED SCHOOLS AND THE ENGLISH SCHOOL FOUNDATION SCHOOLS. THE GOVERNMENT'S POLICY IS TO PROVIDE ESF SCHOOLS WITH NO MORE SUBSIDY THAN THAT AVAILABLE TO LOCAL AIDED SCHOOLS. THIS IS THE PARITY OF SUBSIDY PRINCIPLE ESTABLISHED SINCE 1980. THE EXTRA FACILITIES THAT ESF SCHOOLS PROVIDED ARE FUNDED ENTIRELY BY PARENTS WHO PAID SUBSTANTIAL FEES. BY COMPARISON, THE PARENTS OF PUPILS STUDYING IN AIDED SCHOOLS PAY NOTHING UP TO SECONDARY 3 OR UP TO ONLY ABOUT 5% OF ESF FEES AT SENIOR SECONDARY LEVEL. HAVING SAID ALL THAT, I AGREE THAT THE ALLOCATION OF ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR THE SCHOOLS SECTOR WILL BE THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR IN IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION FOR THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE. I AM GLAD TO SAY THAT THE NEW ALLOCATION OF $300 MILLION OVER THREE YEARS, WHICH I ANNOUNCED IN THIS COUNCIL ON APRIL, TOGETHER WITH THE SUPPORT GIVEN BY MEMBERS FOR THAT ALLOCATION ΤΟ BE SPENT ON OUTSTANDING IMPROVEMENT ITEMS FROM EARLIER EDUCATION COMMISSION REPORTS, HAS PUT ME IN THE HAPPY POSITION OF STARTING WITH A CLEAN SLATE WITH REGARD TO THE FUNDING OF NEW POLICIES
ΤΟ EMERGE FROM ECR5. I CANNOT TODAY ANTICIPATE WHAT THESE NEW POLICIES WILL BE, AND IT WOULD BE IRRESPONSIBLE OF ME TO MAKE ANY SPECIFIC PROMISES AT THIS STAGE. BUT I DO UNDERTAKE TO ALERT MY COLLEAGUES IN THE ADMINISTRATION TO POSSIBLE FUNDING REQUIREMENTS AND TO BID FOR THE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES NECESSARY TO IMPLEMENT NEW POLICIES AT THE EARLIEST POSSIBLE OPPORTUNITY.
ΤΟ CONCLUDE, MR DEPUTY PRESIDENT, THE ADMINISTRATION FULLY ACCEPTS THE NEED TO IMPROVE FURTHER THE QUALITY OF OUR SCHOOL EDUCATION. THIS IS OF COURSE NOT TO SAY THAT THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION THAT WE ARE ALREADY PROVIDING IS ANYTHING THAT WE NEED TO BE ASHAMED OF. THE ADMINISTRATION FULLY SUPPORTS THE SPIRIT OF THE MOTION BEFORE THE COUNCIL. WE HAVE TAKEN CAREFUL NOTE OF THE OBSERVATION AND CONSTRUCTIVE SUGGESTIONS MADE BY THE MEMBERS TODAY AND WILL CONSIDER THEM CAREFULLY AND POSITIVELY. HOWEVER, UNTIL WE HAVE SEEN AND STUDIED THE OUTCOME OF THE EDUCATION COMMISSION'S DELIBERATIONS, WE ARE NOT IN A POSITION TO GIVE CLEAR SPECIFIC COMMITMENTS REGARDING FURTHER IMPROVEMENTS IN ALL THE AREAS LISTED IN THE MOTION, PARTLCULARLY AS REGARDS AND I QUOTE THE +1 MOVE TOWARDS THE TARGET OF AN ALL DEGREE-HOLDING TEACHING FORCE" WHICH TAKES
US BEYOND EXISTING POLICY. FOR THIS REASON, THE EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS WILL ABSTAIN FROM VOTING ON THE MOTION NOTWITHSTANDING THE ADMINISTRATION'S SUPPORT FOR THE SPIRIT BEHIND IT.
THANK YOU, MR DEPUTY PRESIDENT.
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