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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1992
BUT HE POINTED OUT THAT THE SECURITY OF PUBLIC PREMISES WAS ALWAYS RATHER DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN.
OTHER
"IT IS A COMPROMISE BETWEEN ALLOWING FREE AND UNRESTRICTED ACCESS TO THE PUBLIC, WHICH INCREASES THE RISK OF VANDALISM AND PROBLEMS, AND BEING TOO RESTRICTIVE.
"I BELIEVE WE HAVE ACHIEVED A REASONABLE BALANCE WHICH ALLOWS RELATIVELY FREE ACCESS WHERE REQUIRED, BUT WITH ADEQUATE SAFEGUARDS TO PROTECT THE PREMISES, USERS AND TENANTS ALIKE.
'AS A FURTHER STEP, COMMUNITY CENTRE TENANTS HAVE BEEN URGED TO CO-OPERATE BY TAKING REASONABLE PRECAUTIONS THEMSELVES TO ENSURE THE SECURITY OF THESE PREMISES," HE SAID.
NO CASUAL LINK BETWEEN SCHOOL BAG WEIGHT AND SPINAL DEFORMITIES
NO CAUSAL RELATIONSHIP WAS FOUND BETWEEN THE WEIGHT OF SCHOOL BAGS AND SPINAL DEFORMITIES, ACCORDING TO A RESEARCH REPORT JOINTLY PUBLISHED BY THE HONG KONG SOCIETY FOR CHILD HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT, THE DEPARTMENT OF ORTHOPAEDIC SURGERY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG AND THE DUCHESS OF KENT HOSPITAL IN MAY 1988.
IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON ERIC LI IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY ( (WEDNESDAY), THE SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER, MR JOHN CHAN, SAID THE RESEARCH WAS BASED ON A SAMPLE WHERE THE AVERAGE WEIGHT OF SCHOOL BAGS WAS 4.6 KILOGRAMS.
ANOTHER SURVEY CONDUCTED BY THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT IN 1987 REVEALED THAT SCHOOL BAGS CARRIED BY PRIMARY SCHOOL PUPILS WEIGHED 3.4 KILOGRAMS ON AVERAGE AND THAT THIS WEIGHT INCLUDED TEXTBOOKS, WORKBOOKS, WATER-BOTTLES AND PENCIL CASES.
MR CHAN SAID THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT ISSUED GUIDELINES то SCHOOLS AT REGULAR INTERVALS SUGGESTING PRACTICAL WAYS TO REDUCE THE WEIGHT OF SCHOOL BAGS.
FOR EXAMPLE, PARENTS AND PUPILS ARE REMINDED TO PACK THE MINIMUM OF TEXTBOOKS.
TEACHERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO DESIGN THEIR TIME-TABLE IN SUCH A WAY AS то AVOID PUPILS HAVING TO BRING тоо MANY TEXTBOOKS AND WORKBOOKS ON ANY PARTICULAR DAY.
SCHOOLS ARE URGED TO PROVIDE ITEMS SUCH AS DICTIONARIES AND STATIONERY FOR COMMON USE.
TO
"THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT CONSIDERS THAT ITS ADVICE TO SCHOOLS MINIMISE THE WEIGHT OF SCHOOL BAGS IS SUFFICIENT, MR CHAN SAID.
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"LOCKERS ARE NOT ESSENTIAL FOR PRIMARY SCHOOLS AS THEY ARE COSTLY TO PROVIDE AND MAINTAIN AND REQUIRE CLOSE SUPERVISION IN USE," HE ADDED.
THEIR
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