XN000022-1996-09-10 — Page 7

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Among the 21 items listed in the questionnaire testing their sex knowledge, the mean percentage score of the respondents was 68.4. The study showed that they obtained the knowledge mainly from newspapers and television programmes.

It was found that a large proportion of secondary school students had a relatively healthy concept regarding conventional marriage system.

However, some of them regarded divorce was inevitable and premarital sex was acceptable while more than half of them approved the concept of cohabitation and trial marriage.

Some 60 per cent of the students were of the view sex education was necessary. They preferred guidance teachers and social workers to conduct the sessions.

Among the top five interesting topics indicated by the students, three related to self-development. The most popular ones were self-understanding, interpersonal relationship and making friends.

The study concluded that schools should continue to play an important role to facilitate healthy sexual development of the young generation.

In order to induce quality services for students, the study held that it was time to implement sexuality curricula for guidance teachers and social workers and to explore alternative insturctional methods.

The Principal Inspector (Biological Science), Mr Ho Chung-nin, said the Education Department would study the findings with a view to improving sex education in schools.

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Sharp increase in spending on rural improvement works

To improve the environment and development in the New Territories, the Home Affairs Department (HAD) will spend a total of $280 million on some 220 projects for the Rural Planning and Improvement Strategy (RPIS) Minor Works Programme in 1996-97, the Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Michael Suen, said today (Tuesday).

Speaking at a luncheon meeting of the Rotary Club of The Peak, Mr Suen pointed out that the budget represented a 15-fold increase in five years over the expenditure on local public works undertaken in 1991-92.