XN000022-1996-05-22 — Page 27

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To assist schools in implementing the new Guidelines, the Education Department will provide those adopting the specific- or integrated-subject approach with a recurrent class grant. School inspectors will continue to visit and inspect schools to advise them on their civic education programmes.

Although a curriculum framework is recommended in the Guidelines to assist schools in drawing up their curriculum, some community groups, schools have asked for a separate syllabus on civic education, be it for a specific or an integrated subject. The Curriculum Development Council will continue to examine this matter.

Teaching resources on various themes such as human rights, the rule of law, elections, thinking skills, the Joint Declaration and the Basic Law have been prepared and issued to schools. More will be developed. Three teaching packages in the pipeline are on the understanding of China. In-service teacher education programmes will also be provided to prepare teachers for teaching civic education under the new set of Guidelines.

In setting our priorities for the future, we are very conscious of the substantial demand in the community and amongst young people in particular, to know more about the Basic Law, the "one country, two systems" concept and the guarantees provided for the future of Hong Kong. As I stated earlier, promotion of the Basic Law and the provision it makes for the protection of individual rights and freedoms in Hong Kong after 1997 is a major theme of our civic education programmes as we enter the transition year. This is vital if we are to bring our young people into the next century knowing, understanding and having confidence in their identity as citizens of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China, and ready to play a positive part in their community.

End

Immigration (Amendment) Bill: second reading

Following is the speech by the Secretary for Security, Mr Peter Lai, at the resumption of the second reading debate of the Immigration (Amendment) Bill 1996 in the Legislative Council today (Wednesday):

Mr President,

I am grateful to the Bills Committee under the chairmanship of the Honourable Ambrose Lau for its thorough careful examination of the Bill.