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To enhance the language proficiency of students, the government will continue to implement the recommendations of the Education Commission Report No. 6. The English and Chinese Extensive Reading Schemes will be extended to all levels of primary and secondary schools at a recurrent cost of $27 million a year. The government will also increase the provision of intensive English courses to Secondary 6 and 7 students and set up a Language Resources Centre.
As to measures to promote civic education, the provision of grants for introducing the subject, which is currently provided for Secondary I to 3 levels, will be extended to all primary levels and Secondary 4 to 7.
Mr Wong noted that the expenditure on tertiary education for 1997/98 is estimated to be $14.646 billion, representing an increase of 10.6 per cent in nominal terms or three per cent in real terms over the current year.
In view of an increasing number of students applying for grants and loans and increases in academic expenses, the government proposes to raise the total amount of grants and loans provided for students of the Shue Yan College to $7.4 million and $16.7 million respectively. The figures represent an increase of $2.1 million in grants and $9.5 million in loans as compared with this year's. The average amount of financial assistance to each student applying for grants and loans will be increased to around $26,000, which represents an increase of about 60 per cent in real terms.
Turning to employment, Mr Wong said about $1.273 billion will be spent in 1997-98 to maintain and improve employment services and to promote labour relations and safety at work. Of the amount, some $599 million, a 15 per cent increase in nominal terms and seven per cent increase in real terms, will be allocated to the Labour Department (LD).
The LD's expenditure will cover four main areas: occupational safety and health (about $ 237 million or 39.7 per cent of LD's total expenditure); employees' rights and benefits (about $179 million or 29.9 per cent of LD's total expenditure); employment services ($106 million or 17.7 per cent of LD's total expenditure); and labour relations ($76 million or 12.7 per cent of LD's total expenditure).
Mr Wong noted that the government will allocate an additional $35 million to implement new initiatives in the employment area. The initiatives include implementation of the new legislation on occupational safety and health in the non- industrial sectors, enhancement of the jurisdiction of the Minor Employment Claims adjudication Board, and improvement to guidance and employment services for new immigrants.
Resources will also be allocated to the Vocational Training Council to fund its comprehensive vocational training and apprenticeship training.
End