In order to facilitate internet learning for students from low-income families, the government launched a HK$220million programme. The five-year Internet Learning Support Programme, which was introduced in the 2010 budget and rolled out last July, planned to help students acquire affordable computers and internet access.
It initially targeted to help 20,000 families in the first year. But, so far, it has served only 9,000 families, fewer than half the target.
Up to February this year, some 39,000 families had applied for the subsidy, though not all are eligible.
According to the deputy government chief information officer Joey Lam Kam-ping, the original target might have been too aggressive. In other words, she believes the goal was over the top and impractical.
She explained that, due to privacy reasons, the two non-profit organisations engaged by the government to implement the programme cannot have direct access to information related to these needy families and students. And, as a result, the organisations have to seek out these families themselves.
Another problem, she said, is that many parents do not know much about the programme, and thus the response has been relatively lukewarm.
The Internet Learning Support Programme is only part of the government's plan to help needy students get internet access. Low-income families are also offered a subsidy of HK$1,300, or a half-subsidy of HK$650.
