3. 3 -
No cause for undue alarm over slope situation
Parents of students of the 19 schools which have been either issued with Dangerous Hillside Order or are near substandard public slopes in the Landslip Preventive Measures Programme should not be alarmed.
Speaking to the media today (Thursday), the Director of Education, Mrs Helen CP Lai Yu, said: "There is no cause for undue alarm. Government including the Education Department has been monitoring the situation closely.
"In fact, earlier we had issued reminders to schools on the need for regular slope inspection, timely maintenance and precautionary measures. And we are doing
more.
"We have distributed a layman's guide to slope maintenance and an advisory note on buried drains affecting slopes.
"We are examining existing slope safety guidelines to make them clearer and more comprehensive.
"We are reissuing a letter we recently sent to the 19 schools concerned to give them further advice on special arrangements to ensure the safety of students and staff."
"We are advising school heads to fence off the affected areas as advised by the professionals or consultants appointed for the project. Warning notices should also be posted at conspicuous positions on site to keep people away from risk."
Four of the 19 schools have completed the remedial works to the slopes. Of the remaining 15, investigation or remedial works are underway.
"Our aim is to carry out the works as quickly as possible," said Mrs Yu.
She said school heads had been advised in an Administration Circular recently that if local weather, road, slope, traffic conditions warrant the closure of a particular school and a general announcement had not been made by the Director of Education, a school head may close the school at his discretion.
"We are reminding school heads to prepare a contingency plan in consultation with authorised persons or consultants and to inform parents of arrangements", she added.
End