XN000022-1990-02-14 — Page 5

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 1990,

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STEPS TAKEN TO ENCOURAGE EXPANSION OF INTER'L SCHOOLS COMMUNITY

THE GOVERNMENT HAS TAKEN STEPS TO ENCOURAGE THE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS COMMUNITY TO EXPAND FOLLOWING THE GOVERNOR'S POLICY ADDRESS LAST OCTOBER, THE SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER, THE HON K.Y. YEUNG, SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

IN REPLY TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON PAUL CHENG MING-FUN, MR YEUNG SAID INSOFAR AS THE ENGLISH SCHOOLS FOUNDATION WAS CONCERNED, ADDITIONAL PRIMARY PLACES WERE BEING PROVIDED BY EARLY 1991 IN NORTH KOWLOON AND SAI KUNG TO MEET THE EXPECTED INCREASE IN DEMAND ARISING FROM KNOWN PLANS TO EMPLOY LARGE NUMBERS OF EXPATRIATE STAFF IN THE AREA.

"TO RELIEVE THE PRESSURE ON DEMAND FOR SECONDARY PLACES ON HONG KONG ISLAND, TWO EXISTING SCHOOLS HAVE INCREASED THEIR CAPACITY TEMPORARILY, AND A NEW ONE WILL BE BUILT, WITH A PLANNED OPENING DATE OF SEPTEMBER 1993, MR YEUNG SAID.

HE POINTED OUT THAT AT PRESENT, ENROLMENT AT ALL ESF WAS AT 85 PER CENT OF CAPACITY.

SCHOOLS

"THE 1,300 ADDITIONAL PLACES ENVISAGED IN THE ESF'S DEVELOPMENT PLANS WILL INCREASE THE EXISTING CAPACITY BY 14 PER CENT AND THIS SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT TO MEET LIKELY FUTURE DEMAND, 11 HE SAID.

PRIVATE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS WHICH MET WERE ELIGIBLE FOR GRANTS OF LAND AT A NOMINAL EXPLAINED.

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SPECIFIED CRITERIA PREMIUM, MR YEUNG

SEVEN SITES HAVE BEEN GRANTED SO FAR, AND THREE APPLICATIONS ARE BEING PROCESSED: TWO FOR EXTENSIONS TO EXISTING SCHOOLS AND ONE FOR A NEW SCHOOL.

"ABOUT 2,000 ADDITIONAL PLACES WILL BE PROVIDED, AN INCREASE OF 49 PER CENT OVER EXISTING CAPACITY, HE SAID.

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HE POINTED OUT THAT UNDER THE NEW DIRECT SUBSIDY SCHEME, PRIVATE INTERNATIONAL SECONDARY SCHOOLS WOULD FOR THE FIRST TIME, BE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY FOR A RECURRENT SUBSIDY.

'IT IS ENVISAGED THAT THE LEVEL OF RECURRENT SUBSIDY WOULD BE AT LEAST 25 PER CENT OF THE COST OF AN AIDED SCHOOL PLACE.

"FURTHER DETAILS OF THE SCHEME WILL BE SENT ΤΟ ALL SCHOOLS BEFORE THE MIDDLE OF THIS YEAR, HE SAID.

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SECONDARY

INTERESTED PARENTS,

MR YEUNG POINTED OUT THAT TO ENSURE THAT INCLUDING RETURNED EMIGRANTS, HAD ACCESS TO INFORMATION ABOUT INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS, THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION HAD ENCOURAGED SUCH SCHOOLS TO CO-OPERATE IN THE EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION.

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