[Archive] Land reserved for building primary and secondary schools

Date of sitting: 20 November 2002

Asked by: Hon CHEUNG Man-kwong

Replied by: SEM

Question:

Will the Government inform this Council :

1. a breakdown, by school districts, of the location and size of the sites reserved for constructing primary and secondary schools in the current year and the next two years, the number and type of schools to be constructed, and the projected year of completion;
   
   
2. as only 33 school premises are left for the conversion of bi-sessional primary schools into whole-day schools, which fall short of the school premises required to meet the need to convert all bi-sessional primary schools into whole-day schools before the 2007 / 2008 school year, whether the Government will allocate more land for constructing schools; if it will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
   
   
3. of the criteria for reserving school sites, whether a limit has been set on the amount of land to be allocated each year for the construction of schools and whether modifications will be made to the use of reserved school sites; if so, of the details?
   
   

Reply:

Madam President:

1. Detailed breakdown, by school districts, of the location and size of the sites reserved for constructing primary and secondary schools (including special schools) in the current year and the next two years, the number and type of schools to be constructed, and the projected year of completion is provided at Annex.
   
   
2. According to the latest population projection, the population of primary pupils in Hong Kong will continue to decrease from the present to 2007. The 33 school premises to be allocated would be adequate for meeting the overall demand for school places for full implementation of whole-day primary schooling by 2007. For those bi-sessional schools which are still not allocated with school premises owing to district and population factors, the Education Department will continue to assist them to turn whole-day through other different measures (such as merging of the AM and PM sessions, use of suitable vacant premises or building of additional classrooms for the schools). We will adopt a flexible and pragmatic approach in making arrangements for conversion of bi-sessional primary schools, with a view to achieving the target of quality whole-day primary education.
   
   
3. Under the present mechanism, the Education Department makes projections on the supply and demand of different types of school places having regard to the forecast growth and movement of population provided by relevant Government departments (including the Census and Statistics Department, Planning Department and Housing Department), relevant provisions in the Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines, and prevailing education policies. The supply and demand of school places in secondary schools and special schools are assessed and planned on a territory-wide basis. We will make suitable adjustments in reserving sites for construction of schools for districts with persistent shortfall or surplus of school places. The supply and demand of primary school places are assessed and planned on a district basis. This is to, as far as possible, obviate the need for primary students to travel long distances to attend schools.
   
   On the above basis, the Education Department reserves sites for constructing schools following the principle of demand. There is no pre-set quota.
   
   If a site reserved for education purpose is eventually not required for school construction (for example, the provision of additional school places is confirmed to be unnecessary for meeting demand in the district concerned according to latest projections or for implementing an education policy) or, during the investigation stage, a site reserved for education purpose is assessed to be technically non-feasible (for example, the site is found unsuitable for constructing school owing to geological problems), we will return the site to the Planning Department for re-planning purpose.
   
   

Annex

LEGCO QUESTION NO.20

Date of sitting: 20 November 2002

Asked by: Hon CHEUNG Man-kwong

Replied by: SEM

Question:

Will the Government inform this Council :

1. a breakdown, by school districts, of the location and size of the sites reserved for constructing primary and secondary schools in the current year and the next two years, the number and type of schools to be constructed, and the projected year of completion;
   
   
2. as only 33 school premises are left for the conversion of bi-sessional primary schools into whole-day schools, which fall short of the school premises required to meet the need to convert all bi-sessional primary schools into whole-day schools before the 2007 / 2008 school year, whether the Government will allocate more land for constructing schools; if it will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
   
   
3. of the criteria for reserving school sites, whether a limit has been set on the amount of land to be allocated each year for the construction of schools and whether modifications will be made to the use of reserved school sites; if so, of the details?
   
   

Reply:

Madam President:

1. Detailed breakdown, by school districts, of the location and size of the sites reserved for constructing primary and secondary schools (including special schools) in the current year and the next two years, the number and type of schools to be constructed, and the projected year of completion is provided at Annex.
   
   
2. According to the latest population projection, the population of primary pupils in Hong Kong will continue to decrease from the present to 2007. The 33 school premises to be allocated would be adequate for meeting the overall demand for school places for full implementation of whole-day primary schooling by 2007. For those bi-sessional schools which are still not allocated with school premises owing to district and population factors, the Education Department will continue to assist them to turn whole-day through other different measures (such as merging of the AM and PM sessions, use of suitable vacant premises or building of additional classrooms for the schools). We will adopt a flexible and pragmatic approach in making arrangements for conversion of bi-sessional primary schools, with a view to achieving the target of quality whole-day primary education.
   
   
3. Under the present mechanism, the Education Department makes projections on the supply and demand of different types of school places having regard to the forecast growth and movement of population provided by relevant Government departments (including the Census and Statistics Department, Planning Department and Housing Department), relevant provisions in the Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines, and prevailing education policies. The supply and demand of school places in secondary schools and special schools are assessed and planned on a territory-wide basis. We will make suitable adjustments in reserving sites for construction of schools for districts with persistent shortfall or surplus of school places. The supply and demand of primary school places are assessed and planned on a district basis. This is to, as far as possible, obviate the need for primary students to travel long distances to attend schools.
   
   On the above basis, the Education Department reserves sites for constructing schools following the principle of demand. There is no pre-set quota.
   
   If a site reserved for education purpose is eventually not required for school construction (for example, the provision of additional school places is confirmed to be unnecessary for meeting demand in the district concerned according to latest projections or for implementing an education policy) or, during the investigation stage, a site reserved for education purpose is assessed to be technically non-feasible (for example, the site is found unsuitable for constructing school owing to geological problems), we will return the site to the Planning Department for re-planning purpose.
   
   

Annex