TNAG-0658-FCO40-807-Policy-of-Government-of-Hong-Kong-on-education-1977 — Page 157

CONFIDENTIAL #B

XCC(77)19

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In addition to the temporary continuation of subsidy as described in paragraph 4, it is proposed that Government should make a setting-up grant to the Authority to cover the provision of the accommodation needed for examinations offices. This would consist of a private treaty grant of two buildings, one on each side of the harbour, and a cash grant to meet the cost of fitting out and equipping these buildings. It is proposed that the Headquarters of the Authority should be situated in the San Po Kong Government Primary School, and that, subject to the approval of the Town Planning Board, office accommodation and storage space on Hong Kong island should be provided in the buildings in Victoria Barracks now used by Victoria Junior School, when these are handed over by the Services in March 1979. The cost of fitting out the San Po Kong School has been estimated at $1.2 million, but it has not yet been possible to assess the extent of conversion necessary at the Victoria Junior School: when this has been done, approval of the grant will be sought from the Finance Committee of the Legislative Council. It should be noted that, until these buildings are handed over to the Authority, one and a half floors of office space in the Canton Road Government offices, that are now occupied by the Examinations Division, will be used by the Authority, and a rent will be charged for this use. Subsequently, this office space will be available for other purposes.

Staffing of the Authority

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As the Authority will initially be in receipt of a Government sub- vention, and as it will continue to be a "public body" after the phasing out of this subvention, it has been thought appropriate to examine the nature and amount of the work to be carried out by the Authority and to formulate a staffing structure that would be acceptable to Government during the period of the subvention. This exercise has now been completed, and the total staff establishment proposed for the Authority is 95 officers. This is considerably more than the 77 officers who at present constitute the Examinations Division of the Education Department, but the Authority will be responsible for a number of different functions, such as accounting, supplies, and other supporting services, that are at present carried out by other parts of the Education Department or other departments of Government. Part of this increase would have been necessary in any event to discharge the Examination Division's present responsibilities, owing to the rapid increase in recent years in candidature for the school examinations and in the number of external examinations conducted. While it will be necessary to fill without delay most of the additional managerial and clerical posts, expansion of the professional side will be less urgent, the principal new task in this area being planning for the take-over by the Authority of the sixth-form examinations in 1979 and 1980 (see paragraph 15).

CONFIDENTIAL **