ENG-2009 — Page 189

Education | 137

Promotion of National Education

To commemorate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, the EDB organised a series of activities to increase teachers' and students' knowledge of China's development. The series included thematic competitions, a series of talks by experts and scholars, interchange activities with the Mainland, a national day extravaganza, and production of relevant learning and teaching materials.

The EDB has devoted additional resources and rolled out various programmes to promote national education. Championed by the Bureau, the national education platform "Passing on the Torch" was established early in the year. Through this scheme the EDB established close co-operation with voluntary groups and co-ordinated 45 exchange activities organised by non-governmental organisations benefiting over 20 000 students.

In the 2009-10 school year, the EDB will subsidise participation of 37 000 students in various Mainland exchange programmes.

Development of International Schools

Under the Government's continuing commitment to support the development of a vibrant international school sector, four greenfield sites in Kowloon and the New Territories were allocated in August 2009 to four quality operators. Three of the four sites are for the expansion or relocation of existing international schools. The fourth site, in Tuen Mun, was allocated to an overseas operator to establish a new international boarding school with a view to attracting students from different parts of the world as well as to strengthen Hong Kong's position as an education hub.

Establishing the Research Endowment Fund

In reaffirmation of its continued support to research and development, the Government established an $18 billion Research Endowment Fund. The investment income generated will replace the bulk of the existing annual funding granted by the Government to the Research Grants Council of the University Grants Committee (UGC). It will also finance research proposals on themes of a more long-term nature that are strategically beneficial to the development of Hong Kong. The fund will also help build up the research capacity of the institutions on a more focused and longer- term basis.

Keeping Learning and Teaching Resources Up-to-date

A Working Group on Textbooks and E-learning Resources Development was established to look into the development of electronic learning and teaching in schools. Information technology experts, parents, school principals, teachers, publishers and others were invited to explore how e-learning could be taken forward in schools and to address public concern on the use and prices of textbooks. The working group drew on international experience in formulating long-term measures to alleviate the financial burden on parents and to facilitate learning. The working group's report was submitted to the EDB for consideration in October.