XN000022-1994-03-30 — Page 61

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 1994

"WE HAVE ALSO COMMITTED TO THE BULK OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS EDUCATION COMMISSION REPORTS NO. 4 AND 5.

LARGE SUMS OF MONEY TO

IN

OF

"WE ARE INJECTING

ADDRESS AREAS CONCERN, FOR EXAMPLE $613 MILLION TO IMPROVE OUR SCHOOLS, $152 MILLION FOR ADDITIONAL TEACHERS AND $103 MILLION TO REDUCE CLASS SIZES.

ON

THE

THE GOVERNMENT PRE-PRIMARY EDUCATION, MR LEUNG NOTED THAT

YEARS BEEN HAD OVER

INCREASING ASSISTANCE TO KINDERGARTENS,

FOR RENT THROUGH THE PROVISION OF FREE TEACHER TRAINING AND REBATES AND

FOR RATES

NON-PROFIT-MAKING REMISSION FOR NEEDY PARENTS.

KINDERGARTENS,

AS

WELL

AS

FEE

FINALISING

BE

DONE FOR

A WORKING GROUP UNDER THE BOARD OF EDUCATION IS NOW

NEED AND HOW MORE RECOMMENDATIONS

ITS

KINDERGARTENS.

ON WHERE

TO

"AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO RECEIVING THE ADVICE OF THE BOARD THE EDUCATION COMMISSION BY THE SUMMER, HE ADDED.

"I

AND

PROPOSED SPENDING ON OTHER AREAS INCLUDES $1.9 BILLION TO BUILD ADDITIONAL A NEW CAMPUS FOR THE HONG KONG INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION, AN $180 MILLION PER YEAR TO ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF TEACHER EDUCATION, AND

IN MILLION TO $390

UPGRADE TEACHING POSTS

PRIMARY SCHOOLS TO GRADUATE STATUS OVER THE NEXT FOUR YEARS.

AND

SECONDARY

ΤΟ REDUCE FLOATATION IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS, THE GOVERNMENT BEEN BUILDING EXTENSIONS TO SCHOOLS OF THE OLD DESIGN TO PROVIDE SCHOOL WITH TWO ADDITIONAL CLASSROOMS.

HAS EACH

15

SUCH EXTENSIONS HAVE ALREADY BEEN COMPLETED IN 58 SCHOOLS

IN SCHOOLS MORE

EXTENSIONS WILL UNDERGO SIMILAR 80 ADDITIONAL CLASSROOMS WILL BE PROVIDED ADDITION, SECONDARY SCHOOLS BY 1995/96.

AND

1994/95. IN ANOTHER 50

IN

"OUR PRESENT ESTIMATE IS THAT FLOATING CLASSES AT SECONDARY ONE

MR LEUNG SAID. TO FIVE WILL BE ELIMINATED BY THE YEAR 2000,

THAT

"

MR

WERE

AS REGARDS BENEFITS FOR SCHOOL TEACHERS IN THE AIDED SECTOR, LEUNG REPORTED

MORE THAN 900

IN STAFF

AIDED SCHOOLS RECEIVING HOUSING BENEFITS UNDER THE MORTGAGE INTEREST SUBSIDY INTRODUCED IN 1993.

SCHEME

"WE WILL SOON UNDERTAKE A REVIEW OF THE OPERATION OF THE SCHEME TO SEE IF THE PROCEDURES COULD BE FURTHER IMPROVED.

IN "THE SUBSTANTIAL CONCESSIONS ON SALARIES TAX AND REDUCTION

JN THE BUDGET STAMP DUTY ON LOW TO MEDIUM-VALUE PROPERTY PROPOSED SHOULD ALSO INCREASE THE DISPOSABLE INCOME OF MIDDLE-INCOME EARNERS TO WHICH SCHOOL TEACHERS BELONG, HE ADDED.

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