XN000022-1992-06-12 — Page 10

FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 1992

9

"HOWEVER IF

A PRIMARY SCHOOL WISHES TO CONVERT ΤΟ WHOLE-DAY OPERATION AND IF THIS WOULD NOT LEAD TO A SHORTAGE OF SCHOOL PLACES IN THE DISTRICT CONCERNED, IT SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO DO SO,

++ HE ADDED.

THE GOVERNMENT HAS ACCEPTED THIS RECOMMENDATION.

OF

TO DEMONSTRATE IT'S COMMITMENT ΤΟ THE GOAL OF WHOLE-DAY SCHOOLING AND TO RECOGNISE THE ADDITIONAL STAFF REQUIREMENTS OPERATING WHOLE-DAY CLASSES, THE GOVERNMENT HAS ALSO ACCEPTED THE EDUCATION COMMISSION'S PROPOSAL TO:

RAISE THE TEACHER/CLASS RATIO FROM THE PRESENT 1.2:1 ΤΟ 1.4:1; AND

IMPROVE THE RATIO OF SENIOR TEACHERS, MASTER/MISTRESS (AM), FROM ONE AM FOR EVERY FOUR CLASSES ONE AM FOR EVERY THREE CLASSES.

I.E.

ASSISTANT

TO

THESE IMPROVED MANNING SCALES WOULD APPLY TO BOTH EXISTING WHOLE-DAY SCHOOLS AND OTHER SCHOOLS WHICH WOULD CONVERT TO WHOLE-DAY OPERATION UNDER THE ARRANGEMENT APPROVED BY THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.

AT PRESENT THERE ARE 100 SCHOOLS OPERATING WHOLE-DAY THE ANNUAL COST OF PROVIDING THE IMPROVED MANNING RATIOS SCHOOLS IS ESTIMATED TO BE $29 MILLION. AN ADDITIONAL 133 WILL BE REQUIRED.

CLASSES. THESE TEACHERS

TO

THE

THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION ALSO ESTIMATES

THAT, IF RECOMMENDATION TO CONTINUE ALLOWING SCHOOLS ΤΟ TURN WHOLE-DAY "NATURALLY" IS ADOPTED, ABOUT 39 ADDITIONAL SCHOOLS COULD DO SO WITHIN FIVE YEARS.

BASED ON THIS ESTIMATE, ANOTHER 123 TEACHERS WILL BE REQUIRED AND THE ADDITIONAL ANNUAL EXPENDITURE WILL RISE TO $46.9 MILLION.

IN ADDITION, NON-RECURRENT EXPENDITURE OF $3.8 MILLION FOR FURNITURE GRANTS TO THE 39 SCHOOLS WILL BE INCURRED.

THE PROPOSALS WILL BE FUNDED BY THE NEW ALLOCATION OF $300 MILLION ΤΟ SCHOOLS EDUCATION AS ANNOUNCED BY THE SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ON APRIL AND IMPLEMENTED BY PHASES AS SOON AS POSSIBLE SUBJECT TO THE OF FUNDS BY THE FINANCE COMMITTEE.

1,

1992, APPROVAL

ነ

ATTENTION NEWS EDITORS:

WILL

WHOLE-DAY

THE SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER, MR JOHN CHAN, BRIEF NEWS MEDIA REPRESENTATIVES ON THE IMPLEMENTATION •OF SCHOOLING AT 3 PM TODAY (FRIDAY).

BRANCH WING.

THE SESSION WILL TAKE PLACE AT THE EDUCATION AND MANPOWER

CONFERENCE ROOM, 12TH FLOOR, CENTRAL GOVERNMENT OFFICES,

WEST

YOU ARE INVITED TO ATTEND.

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