Education Bureau is increasing support for non-Chinese-speaking students
I wish to clear up some erroneous claims made in the letters by Eddie Lei and Charles Yeung about the support for non-Chinese-speaking students, the admission of Secondary One students by St Margaret's Girls' College, and the school's use of vacant premises.
The government is committed to supporting non-Chinese-speaking students' integration into the community, including facilitating their early adaptation to the local education system and mastery of the Chinese language. Over 500 public sector and Direct Subsidy Scheme (DSS) schools offering the local curriculum have admitted these students. Measures were announced in January's policy address to step up support for these students' effective learning of Chinese. These included professional development programmes for teachers, enhanced funding support and diversified modes of school-based support for schools to cater to these students' learning and adaptation needs.
In October 2012, St Margaret's, now in Caine Road, informed the Education Bureau of its intention to pull out of the DSS. It formally applied to the bureau in August and September 2013 for use of the vacant school premises in Sha Tin for five years for its phasing-out plan effective from September 2014. Noting St Margaret's request for time-limited use dovetailed well with its self-initiated undertaking not to take in Secondary One students, the bureau agreed to provide these premises to St Margaret's from September 2014 to August 2019 to enable current students to complete their secondary education at the school.
Vacant school premises are sought after by school operators. Allocation of sites and premises, identified as suitable for schools on a long-term basis, is always done in a competitive and objective manner through an evaluation of proposals submitted to an open invitation announced by the bureau. There are no readily available school sites on Hong Kong Island.
While appreciating St Margaret's efforts to provide education services for non-Chinese-speaking students, the bureau cannot allocate premises without going through the due process. It explained to the school management and parent representatives that the school must provide concrete arrangements to guarantee a complete secondary education for the students and a secured premises for its long-term use if it is to continue admitting Secondary One students.
St Margaret's school sponsoring body is welcome to participate in future school allocation exercises for reprovisioning the school or for a new school operation.