TNAG-1073-FCO40-1323-Policy-of-the-Government-of-Hong-Kong-on-education-including-1981 — Page 287

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within the division: the Building, Planning and Statistics sections.

The Building Section is concerned with the implementation of

approved policy targets in respect of school places and qualitative

improvements through new school buildings and extensions of primary,

secondary and special schools. The section is also involved in any

matter related to land grants and accommodation as they affect the

provision of pre-primary education facilities in housing estates, the

expansion of English education and the provision of places in technical

institutes and the approved post-secondary colleges. The section

monitors the progress of approved school building programmes, investigating

and processing applications for school building projects and extensions,

making recommendations with regard to the grant of sites, capital subsidies

and interest-free loans and evaluating prospective sponsors wishing to

operate estate primary and secondary schools. The section maintains

close liaison with architects of the Architectural Office and Housing

Authority, sponsors and their architects.

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The Planning Section is responsible for initiating, examining

and developing ideas emanating from the DPC and for assisting the Assistant

Director to reach a decision on the optimum strategy for achievement of

the policy objectives determined by the Senior Directorate. The work of

the section entails considerable research, assessment of the advantages

and disadvantages of various courses of action and the preparation of

detailed discussion papers. The section works closely with the Statistics

Section in the gathering of background data and the testing of various

planning options in the light of the statistical information available.

The department places a high degree of importance on the work of this

section and the quality of the information produced by it in view of the

rapid expansion of the education system and the complexity of the planning

tasks involved. This complexity arises in part as a result of the fact

that the system is still evolving at all levels and, in part, as a result

of the constant need to re-examine and redesign targets as a result of