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For discussion FCR(95-96)70
on 17 November 1995
ITEM FOR FINANCE COMMITTEE
HEAD 40 - EDUCATION DEPARTMENT
Subhead 700 General other non-recurrent
Members are invited to approve a commitment of $29,807,000 for providing introductory courses in Putonghua for primary and secondary students in public sector schools during summer holidays.
Students in public sector schools which do not offer Putonghua in the school curriculum have little opportunity to learn the language.
2. The Director of Education (D of E) proposes to provide introductory courses in Putonghua for primary and secondary students in public sector schools during the summer holidays of 1996 to 1998 before Putonghua is extended to the formal curriculum from Primary 1 to Secondary 5 in September 1998.
3. Hong Kong will become a Special Administrative Region of the Peoples Republic of China in 1997 and we expect the trend towards greater use of Putonghua in the territory will continue. At present, Putonghua is an optional subject at upper primary and junior secondary levels in the school curriculum. Since Putonghua will not be extended to the formal curriculum at both primary and secondary levels until September 1998, students in schools which do not offer Putonghua courses will not have the opportunity to learn the language in the 1995-96 to 1997-98 school years, except through special arrangements.
4. D of E proposes to fill the gap by organising introductory courses in Putonghua for primary and secondary students during the summer holidays. These courses will be run for 20 hours each, with focus on listening and speaking skills. Each primary school may nominate up to two classes (30 to 40 students per class) and secondary school four classes (35 to 40 students per class) respectively for the proposed courses. D of E proposes a greater number of classes for secondary schools because the need for these students to learn Putonghua is more imminent than that of primary students; the latter will have further opportunities to learn the language when it is introduced into the formal curriculum at the secondary level in due course.
5. D of E estimates that, for the 1995-96 school year, there are 407 public sector primary schools and 220 public sector secondary schools which have not offered Putonghua in the formal curriculum. Assuming that there is an annual addition of 20 primary and ten secondary schools offering Putonghua courses, the number of public sector schools which do not offer Putonghua in the formal curriculum as a subject or as Putonghua Special Programme in the 1996-97 and 1997-98 school years will be 387 and 367 respectively for primary level and 210 and 200 respectively for secondary level. D of E estimates that a total of 193 700 students will benefit from the proposed Putonghua summer courses.
6. D of E estimates the total cost of the project to be $29,807,000, with a cashflow as follows -
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$000
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1996-97
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9,482
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1997-98
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9,941
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1998-99
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10,384
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Total
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29,807 |
Details of the estimated expenditure are at the Enclosure.
7. If Members approve the proposal, we shall include sufficient provision in the 1996-97 draft Estimates and future Estimates for this purpose.
8. At present, Putonghua is offered in three different modes in schools, viz. as an optional subject (upper primary and junior secondary levels), as a Putonghua Special Programme (secondary level) in the formal curriculum, as well as through extra-curricular activities. To enhance the teaching of Putonghua, we have been providing schools with subsidies in the form of school grants, one-off equipment grant and class grant to assist schools in arranging Putonghua courses in schools.
Education and Manpower Branch
October 1995
Enclosure to FCR(95-96)70
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Cost
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Summer 1996
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Summer 1997
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Summer 1998
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Total
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Tutors fees
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Primary schools
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$3,907,200
($4,800 x 2 classes x
407 schools)
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$4,086,720
($5,280* x 2 classes x
387 schools)
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$4,257,200
($5,800* x 2 classes x
367 schools)
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$12,251,120
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Secondary schools
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$4,224,000
($4,800 x 4 classes x
220 schools)
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$4,435,200
($5,280* x 4 classes x
210 schools)
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$4,640,000
($5,800* x 4 classes x
200 schools)
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$13,299,200
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Teaching materials
(language tapes, teaching aids, etc.)
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Primary schools
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$488,400
($600 x 2 classes x
407 schools)
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$510,840
($660* x 2 classes x
387 schools)
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$532,884
($726* x 2 classes x
367 schools)
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$1,532,124
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Secondary schools
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$528,000
($600 x 4 classes x
220 schools)
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$554,400
($660* x 4 classes x
210 schools)
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$580,800
($726* x 4 classes x
200 schools)
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$1,663,200
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Miscellaneous expenses
(printing, postage, etc.)
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$30,000
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$33,000*
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$36,300*
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$99,300
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One part-time Clerical Assistant
(for the months of June, July, August and September in each year)
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$28,340
($7,085 x 4 months)
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$31,176
($7,794* x 4 months)
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$34,292
($8,573* x 4 months)
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$93,808
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(A) Sub-total
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$9,205,940
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$9,651,336
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$10,081,476
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$28,938,752
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(B) Contingency
[3% of (A) ]
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$276,178
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$289,540
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$302,444
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$868,162
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Total [ (A) + (B) ]
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$9,482,118
Say $9,482,000
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$9,940,876
Say $9,941,000
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$10,383,920
Say $10,384,000
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$29,806,914
Say $29,807,000 |
* Allowing 10% fee adjustment
Last Updated on 2 December 1998
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