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The following is issued on behalf of the Environmental Campaign Committee:
The Environmental Campaign Committee (ECC) today (September 29) held a presentation ceremony to present the Green School Award and the Waste Less School Award to winning schools under the 13th Hong Kong Green School Award (HKGSA).
At today's ceremony, 52 schools received the Green School Award in recognition of their environmental protection efforts while 11 schools were awarded the Waste Less School Award for their devotion to promoting "waste less" practices on campus (see the Annex for the list of awardees). The new Waste Less School Award is a special award scheme under the 13th HKGSA that aims to encourage primary and secondary schools to take action to prepare for the implementation of municipal solid waste charging in the future by achieving waste reduction with measurable outcomes.
Officiating at today's presentation ceremony were the Secretary for the Environment, Mr Wong Kam-sing; the Chairman of the ECC, Mr Lam Chiu-ying; the Principal Education Officer (Curriculum Development) of the Education Bureau, Mr Sheridan Lee; and the Convenor of the ECC Education Working Group, Mr Hui Yung-chung. Representatives from co-organisers, namely the Hong Kong Institute of Education, the Hong Kong Productivity Council and the Vocational Training Council, also joined the event.
For the primary and secondary school categories in the 13th HKGSA, the schools underwent assessments according to four criteria, namely Environmental Policy and Campus Environment, Environmental Management Measures, Environmental Education Plan and Implementation, and Environmental Education Effectiveness. After verification of the scores, schools meeting the benchmark scores in relevant assessment criteria were presented with the Green School Gold, Silver or Bronze Award. Among a total of 204 entries this year, one primary school and six secondary schools received the Green School Gold Award, nine primary schools and four secondary schools received the Green School Silver Award, and 11 primary schools and 13 secondary schools received the Green School Bronze Award. Under the partnership of the HKGSA and the Hong Kong Awards for Environmental Excellence (HKAEE), schools receiving the Hong Kong Green School title were referred to compete for the 2015 HKAEE under the Schools Sector.
In the pre-school category, assessment was made according to four criteria, namely Environmental Infrastructure, Environmental Management, Environmental Education, and Parents' Participation in Environmental Activities. This year, eight award-winning pre-schools among 59 entries were presented with cash prizes ranging from $5,000 to $10,000.
The HKGSA, launched in 2000, has attracted participation from more than 800 schools. The scheme, sponsored by the Environment and Conservation Fund, aims to encourage schools to formulate a school environmental policy and implement an environmental management plan. The scheme also aims to enhance environmental awareness, help to develop an environmentally friendly attitude and promote green practices among school managers, teachers, non-teaching staff, students and their families. Since the eighth HKGSA, the award scheme has been restructured to forge a partnership between the HKGSA and the HKAEE.
The 14th Hong Kong Green School Award and the Waste Less School Award for the 2015/16 school year are now open for applications. Schools wishing to join the scheme may obtain more information at the ECC's Schools Go Green website at school.ecc.org.hk.
Ends/Tuesday, September 29, 2015
Issued at HKT 17:04
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