XN000022-1993-02-25 — Page 5

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1993

AT TODAY'S MEETING, THE LBAC ALSO NOTED THE PROGRESS OF SEVERAL STUDIES RELATED TO THE PORT AND AIRPORT DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY WHICH ARE CONDUCTED BY THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT AND ENDORSED THE BUILDING AUTHORITY'S PROPOSALS TO AMEND AND UPDATE THE BUILDINGS ORDINANCE.

THE MEETING ALSO DECIDED TO SET UP AN AD HOC COMMITTEE TO STUDY THE TWO SUBMISSIONS FROM THE HONG KONG INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS ON "DEVELOPMENT PROCESSING MECHANISM IN HONG KONG" AND "PROCESSING OF SUBMISSIONS UNDER LEASE" IN DETAIL.

0

ALL EDUCATION COMMISSION REPORT V RECOMMENDATIONS APPROVED

THE GOVERNOR-IN-COUNCIL HAS APPROVED A PACKAGE OF MEASURES RECOMMENDED BY THE EDUCATION COMMISSION IN ITS REPORT NO. 5 (ECR5) FOR IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION IN PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS.

A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID TODAY (THURSDAY) THAT WITH THE GOVERNOR-IN-COUNCIL'S ENDORSEMENT OF THE PACKAGE, THE WHOLE OF ECR5 COULD NOW BE IMPLEMENTED AS QUICKLY AS RESOURCES ALLOW.

LAST OCTOBER, THE GOVERNOR ANNOUNCED A START IN SEPTEMBER ON SOME MAJOR RECOMMENDATIONS IN ECR5.

1993

AND A

THESE INCLUDE ADDITIONAL TEACHERS IN EACH PRIMARY SECONDARY SCHOOLS, PLANNING FOR THE INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION, REDUCTION IN CLASS SIZES BY FIVE PLACES, AND AN INCREASE IN KINDERGARTEN FEE REMISSION FUNDING, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

**

"THE APPROVED PACKAGE COVERS ALL OTHER ASPECTS OF ECR5, AS WELL AS AN ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATION FOR A SCHOOL LIBRARY IN EACH PRIMARY SCHOOL

—

MADE BY THE COMMISSION IN THE LIGHT OF PUBLIC COMMENTS."

PUBLISHED IN JUNE 1992, ECR5 FOCUSES ON THE TEACHING PROFESSION HIGHLIGHTS THREE AREAS WHERE IMPROVEMENTS ARE NEEDED ΤΟ ENSURE QUALITY EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS:

AND

* IMPROVING THE SCHOOL WORKING ENVIRONMENT;

PROVIDING A SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER OF GRADUATE POSTS FOR PRIMARY TEACHERS; AND

CREATING AN AUTONOMOUS INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION TO TAKE OVER THE WORK OF THE COLLEGES OF EDUCATION AND INSTITUTE OF LANGUAGE IN EDUCATION.

FUNDING HAS ALREADY BEEN EARMARKED FOR MOST OF THE IMPROVEMENTS IN THE SCHOOL WORKING ENVIRONMENT, AND ITEMS NOT YET FUNDED ARE WITH A STARTING DATE IN 1994/95 AND BEYOND.

THOSE

/THE SPOKESMAN