XN000022-1988-02-12 — Page 12

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 1988

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SCHOOL BUILDING SPEEDED UP

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TO ALLEVIATE THE SHORTAGE OF SCHOOL PLACES, THE ARCHITECTURAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT, IN ADDITION TO ITS NORMAL SCHOOL BUILDING PROGRAMME, HAS EMBARKED ON A SCHEME TO ADVANCE THE COMPLETION OF 18 SCHOOLS PROM 1991 TO 1989.

THE SECRETARY FOR THE CIVIL SERVICE, MR HARNAM GREWAL, WAS TOLD THIS DURING A VISIT TO THE DEPARTMENT TODAY (FRIDAY).

THE SCHEME, COSTING AN ESTIMATED $317 MILLION, WILL INCLUDE FOUR SECONDARY AND TWO PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN SHA TIN, THREE SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN TUEN MUN, AND THREE SECONDARY AND TWO PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN YURN LONG.

IT WILL ALSO INCLUDE A SECONDARY SCHOOL IN TAI PO, A SECONDARY SCHOOL IN FANLING AND TWO PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN JUNK BAY.

A MULTI-DISCIPLINARY PROJECT GROUP WAS FORMED BY THE DEPARTMENT LAST JULY TO UNDERTAKE THE ADVANCED SCHOOL BUILDING SCHEME. CONSTRUCTION WILL BEGIN IN MAY.

THE DEPARTMENT HAS ALSO EMBARKED ON ANOTHER SCHEME TO BUILD ADDITIONAL CLASSROOMS IN MANY OF THE EXISTING SECONDARY SCHOOLS. THE NEED WAS BROUGHT ABOUT BY THE ABOLITION OF THE "FLOTATION SYSTEM".

THIS SCHEME INVOLVES BUILDING A CLASSROOM AND TWO REMEDIAL TEACHING ROOMS ON THE GROUND FLOOR LEVEL OF EACH EXISTING SECONDARY SCHOOL. THE INITIAL PHASE OF THE PROGRAMME WILL START IN JULY.

MEASURES

MR GREWAL WAS ALSO BRIEFED ON NOISE ABATEMENT INTRODUCED BY THE DEPARTMENT AT SOME SCHOOLS AFFECTED BY AIRCRAFT NOISE.

THE IMPROVEMENT WORKS, TO BE PHASED OVER A PERIOD OF FOUR YEARS, WILL INCLUDE DOUBLE GLAZING AND ALTERATION OF EXISTING WINDOWS, AND INSTALLATION OF WINDOW-TYPE AIR-CONDITIONERS TO CLASSROOMS AND TO SPECIAL TEACHING ROOMS.

IN THE FIRST STAGE OF THE NOISE ABATEMENT PROGRAMME, WORKS WILL BE CARRIED OUT IN TWO PHASES.

PHASE ONE, WHICH BEGAN LAST JULY AND IS EXPECTED TO BE SCHOOL AND NINE COMPLETED IN OCTOBER, COVERS A GOVERNMENT SECONDARY AIDED SCHOOLS. Į

GOVERNMENT SECONDARY AND TAKE ABOUT

PHASE TWO OF THE PROGRAMME INCLUDES A SCHOOL AND 13 AIDED SCHOOLS. WORK WILL START IN JUNE 10 MONTHS TO COMPLETE.

THE IMPROVEMENT