Education Bureau urged to rethink aided-school fees rise
Pan-democrat legislators this week urged the Education Bureau to rethink plans to increase senior secondary fees in aided schools for the third year in a row, saying the move would be a financial burden for lower-income families. The Legislative Council education panel unanimously passed a non-binding motion calling on the bureau to review its policy on school fees and freeze tuition until that was completed. The bureau had earlier insisted the fee increase, which will see fees for Forms Four and Five rise by 6.2 per cent to HK$6,020 and for Forms Six and Seven by 4.4 per cent to HK$9,870, was necessary.
The science of staying up late
Two secondary students were taken to hospital during a five-day science camp at Baptist University. The chance to sample university life by staying up until the early hours proved too much for one student, who passed out due to lack of sleep during a laboratory experiment. Another student was slightly hurt when he slipped and fell in a corridor. Medical incidents aside, organisers said the camp, which aimed to promote environmental awareness, was a success.
Now hear this! Please turn it down
There have been 32 noise complaints against schools' announcement systems over the past three years, the education secretary informed legislators this week. In a written response to a question from Albert Chan Wai-yip, Michael Suen Ming-yeung said the Education Bureau had liaised with schools to improve the situation in all the cases. He added that the bureau had made provisions for schools to wire speakers 'so that students can stay in the classrooms to listen to the announcements'.
