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Following is the transcript of remarks by the Secretary for Education, Mr Eddie Ng Hak-kim, at a media session after visiting Tai Po Baptist Public School today (September 2):
Reporter: Don't you think the school is a bit overcrowded with local and cross-boundary students? Will this affect the quality of teaching?
Secretary for Education: If you look at it several years back, for the primary education and schools as an example, the standard capacity was 45 students per class. So the setup and facilities were all set according to the 45 headcount provision. And then five or six years ago, we decided for primary schools to go for small class teaching. Therefore it went down year by year to 25 students.
And now we have a situation of population fluctuation, something we need to face with and rise up to the challenge to manage it professionally without sacrificing the quality of education. And that is why we have special provision, arrangements, facilities, resources and support to make it happen together with schools. For example, the number of Primary One classes in the school here has increased from five to seven and all the facilities have been built. If you look around and visit the classrooms, all the effective facilities like the e-learning equipment are all there. I have witnessed it by myself and that is why I am here today. Actually, students used the electronic board and then I used the electronic screen to do the exchange as well as teaching. All these together pinpoint one thing: we understand the challenge and we have ways and means to do it effectively and professionally without sacrificing the quality of education together with teachers, principals and the school sector. Thank you.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)
Ends/Monday, September 2, 2013
Issued at HKT 14:36
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