The ICAC is investigating 54 cases of alleged corruption involving schools, two years after guidelines on taking commissions were drafted for principals and teachers. The Independent Commission Against Corruption said that of 71 complaints about schools received since 1996, 54 were still being investigated. A number involved alleged acceptance of gifts or sponsorships from suppliers of textbooks, lunch-boxes or uniforms. The ICAC did not provide a breakdown. The 17 cases investigated have not led to any prosecutions under the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance for accepting promotional gifts or sponsorships. Educators said this was partly because free gifts and donations from suppliers had become less attractive as the Government released more funds to schools. Alice Woo Lo-ming, episcopal delegate for the Catholic Education Office, said: 'It has become less rampant: schools are more self-disciplined with the guidelines, and the Government has become quite generous in improving school facilities in recent years.' In January 1998, ICAC-drafted guidelines were issued by the Education Department making it illegal for schools to accept a commission of more than 15 per cent of the price of a transaction, following concerns raised by the Consumer Council. The money accepted must be spent on the school, with all dealings approved by the school management committee. Schools must also set up committees to select textbooks for pupils. Wong Wai-man, chairman of the Hong Kong Educational Publishers' Association, said that previously, book distributors and publishers would sponsor sports days or give air-conditioners in exchange for sales. 'It's best if the Education Department can make [the guidelines] more specific by banning suppliers from making donations of an unreasonable amount, say $3,000,' Mr Wong said. Last month, 34-year-old Leung Siu-lee, former head of Leung Sing Tak Primary School in Tseung Kwan O, and his brother, Siu-hon, manager of a catering business, were convicted under the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance. They were each fined $15,000 for using false receipts to defraud the school of more than $30,000.