WEDNESDAY, MAY 12, 1993
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MR BLAKE SAID GOVERNMENT SLOPES AND RETAINING WALLS FOUND TO BE UNSATISFACTORY WERE UPGRADED UNDER THE LANDSLIP PREVENTIVE MEASURES THOSE ON PRIVATE LAND MUST BE UPGRADED BY THE
(LPM) PROGRAMME. PRIVATE OWNERS.
DURING THE 1992/93 FINANCIAL YEAR, STATUTORY ORDERS WERE SERVED ON PRIVATE LOT OWNERS IN 31 CASES,
THE GOVERNMENT HAD COMPLETED UPGRADING WORKS ON 43 GOVERNMENT SLOPES AND RETAINING WALLS WHILE WORKS COMMENCED ON 61 OTHERS.
THE EXPENDITURE UNDER THE LPM PROGRAMMES DURING THE LAST FINANCIAL YEAR AMOUNTED TO ABOUT $73 MILLION FOR SLOPE WORKS.
"IN THIS FINANCIAL YEAR, WORK WILL BE IN PROGRESS ON 67 SLOPES AND RETAINING WALLS UNDER THE LPM PROGRAMME.
"IN ADDITION, A GREAT DEAL OF SLOPE WORK, AT A COST OF SEVERAL HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS PER YEAR, IS CARRIED OUT IN BOTH THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTORS IN ASSOCIATION WITH NEW PROJECTS," MR BLAKE SAID.
THE GOVERNMENT IS CURRENTLY UNDERTAKING A PUBLICITY CAMPAIGN TO ENCOURAGE THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR SLOPE MAINTENANCE TO CARRY OUT THE NECESSARY ROUTINE INSPECTIONS AND MINOR REPAIR WORKS SO AS TO PREVENT LANDSLIPS, HE ADDED.
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SCHOOLS TO DECIDE ON INSTRUCTION MEDIUM BY 1994/95
THE GOVERNMENT IS WORKING, ON THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE EDUCATION COMMISSION, TO PROVIDE A FRAMEWORK WHEREBY SCHOOLS WILL DECIDE WHETHER TO BECOME ENGLISH-MEDIUM, CHINESE-MEDIUM OR TO OPERATE BOTH CHINESE AND ENGLISH CLASSES, STARTING WITH SECONDARY ONE FROM THE 1994/95 SCHOOL YEAR.
THE RECENT DELAY IN INTRODUCING THE TARGET AND TARGET-RELATED ASSESSMENT (TTRA) SCHEME WILL NOT AFFECT THIS TIME-TABLE.
THIS WAS STATED BY THE SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER, MR JOHN CHAN, WHEN REPLYING TO A QUESTION BY THE HON TIK CHI-YUEN IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
MR CHAN EXPLAINED THAT ALTHOUGH THE INTRODUCTION OF TTRA WOULI HAVE PROVIDED USEFUL INFORMATION ON THE LANGUAGE ABILITIES OF THE INDIVIDUAL CHILD AND THE OVERALL STUDENT INTAKE SO THAT PARENTS AND SCHOOLS COULD CHOOSE AN APPROPRIATE MEDIUM RATIONALLY, IT REPRESENTED ONLY ONE OF SEVERAL SOURCES OF SUCH INFORMATION.
"INDEED,
EDUCATION COMMISSION REPORT NO. 4 (ECR4) RECOGNISED FROM THE OUTSET THAT TTRA WOULD NOT BE READY FOR USE WHEN SCHOOLS WERE FIRST SCHEDULED TO MAKE THE CHOICE AND THAT, INITIALLY, THE RESULTS OF THE SECURE HONG KONG ATTAINMENT TEST (HKAT) WOULD PROVIDE SCHOOLS AND PARENTS WITH THE NECESSARY OBJECTIVE GUIDANCE," HE NOTED.
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