XN000022-1995-07-19 — Page 88

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Reply:

Mr President,

(a)

(b)

At present, over 60 topics relating to sex education are taught in the context of 9 different subjects at different levels in primary and secondary schools. The curriculum and syllabuses of these subjects are under constant review by the relevant Curriculum Development Council subject committees and updated regularly to keep up with changing needs. Up-to-date advice on sex education is also given to schools by subject inspectors during school visits, and to teachers through in-service teacher education programmes. The Education Department will

undertake an overall review of the Guidelines on Sex Education in School in early 1996.

Over the past three years, a total of 2,550 pre-service and 363 in-service teachers have received training/retraining in sex education. In addition, an average of 120 teachers attend sex education courses organised by the Family Planning Association of Hong Kong each year. The Education Department also provides resource materials and teaching kits to schools in support of their teaching activities, with further teaching or display materials available to schools at the Department's two Sex Education Resource Centres. In the past three years, 62 schools have borrowed such materials from the two Resource Centres.

(c)

Following the recommendation of Education Commission Report No. 5, a Committee on Home-School Co-operation was set up to advise the Government on ways to stimulate and co-ordinate sustained progress in home-school co-operation. Since its inception in 1993, the Committee has been actively promoting co-operation between schools and parents via measures such as establishment of Parent-Teacher Associations and organising district parent education programmes. The Committee will soon conduct a survey of parents' views on sex education. The findings of the survey will provide the data base on how families and schools may work together to help students in this respect.

End/Wednesday, July 19, 1995