XN000022-1995-03-01 — Page 51

- 40.

Building of primary schools

Following is a question by the Hon Cheung Man-kwong and a written reply by the Secretary for Education and Manpower, Mr Michael Leung, in the Legislative Council today (Wednesday):

Question:

In 1993 and 1994, the Education Department surrendered 14 sites reserved for building primary schools mainly for the reason that those sites did not meet the proposed area requirement. In this regard, will the Government inform this Council whether it will consider utilising 25 existing sites reserved for primary schools, which also fail to meet the area requirement, with some flexibility so that a certain number of whole-day primary schools with a smaller capacity than the proposed ones (e.g. with accommodation for 12 classes only) can be built to provide different types of schools for students to choose from on the one hand, and to attain the target of providing whole-day primary schooling as soon as possible on the other?

Reply:

Mr President,

Our present policy is to build standard primary schools with 30 classrooms because they are generally more cost-effective and efficient in providing more school places to meet the demand. However, the Government is prepared to be flexible to build small size schools in special circumstances, for example, in areas where there is a persistent shortfall of school places and the extent of such a shortfall is not large enough to warrant the building of a standard school. The Education Department will continue to consider making the best use of the reserved sites.

As to the whole-day primary schools, all new primary schools are planned to operate on a whole day basis and existing primary schools will be converted to whole day operation insofar as this will not adversely affect the supply of school places. This is being implemented.

End/Wednesday, March 1, 1995