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(a) of the details of the design standards, together with a list showing the numbers and areas of various rooms, utility areas and venues; and whether new school premises must be built to these standards;

(b) of the number of secondary and primary schools whose designs have yet to meet these standards at present;

(c) of the names of the 20 secondary schools and the 20 primary schools whose designs fall short of these standards by the widest margin in terms of total floor area and open playground area per student;

(d) whether the Government has any schedules for the improvement, expansion of extension of all schools of sub-standard designs, so as to bring them up to standard as soon as possible; and

(e) whether the Government has put in place any interim arrangements and measures to assist those schools which are significantly below standard in improving their crowded environment before the completion of the up-grading projects recommended in the Education Commission Report No. 5 for the existing secondary and primary schools?

Reply:

Mr President,

The Education Commission recommended in its Report No. 5 that all new schools should be built to an improved standard to provide additional space for teachers and students, and that all existing schools should be brought up to this new standard under a phased improvement programme. The Government accepted this recommendation. In November 1993, it introduced a new schedule of accommodation for building new schools. Details are at Annex A. In 1994, it commenced a School Improvement Programme to improve in stages all existing schools.

(a) The improved standard as set out at Annex A applies to all new schools the planning of which commences after November 1993 except where because of non- availability of standard school sites and the need to meet significant shortfall of school places, schools have to be built on smaller sites.