$74m to support influx of mainland children
Fears of a mass influx of mainland children have forced the Government to devise several multi-million-dollar contingency plans.
The Education and Manpower Bureau has earmarked $74 million to give them educational and social support in 1998-99, according to the estimates released yesterday.
And $150 million of a $5.8 billion five-year plan will be spent in the coming year to build 70 new primary schools by 2003.
In addition, 6,180 new primary and kindergarten teaching posts will be created in the next four years. These will cost $186 million in the coming year.
Secretary for Education and Manpower Joseph Wong Wing-ping admitted a January court ruling on the right of abode of mainland children had forced the Government to prepare for an extra 18,000 this year in addition to the daily quota of 75 one-way permits for children under 16.
Overall, $53 billion will be spent on education in 1998-99 with 65.9 per cent going toward basic education and 34.1 per cent on tertiary education. This translates into a real-term rise of 16.4 per cent for basic education and 7.1 per cent for tertiary education compared with the previous year.
Federation of Education Workers chairman Yeung Yiu-chung said the overall education expenditure was acceptable.
