The following is issued on behalf of the Education Commission:

The Education Commission (EC) set up a Working Group to review the Secondary School Places Allocation (SSPA) System and the Medium of Instruction (MOI) Policy for Secondary Schools at its meeting today (July 22).

"The Commission proposed, in its Reform Proposal for the Education System in Hong Kong, to review the interim SSPA mechanism in the 2003/04 school year with a view to considering the long-term arrangements for the SSPA System," the Chairperson of the EC, Dr Rosanna Wong, said.

"On the MOI Policy, the Government announced in 2000 that the current MOI arrangements for secondary schools should remain intact until September 2004 while the long-term arrangements after 2004 should be considered in conjunction with the SSPA review."

"It is against this background that the dedicated Working Group is set up to advise the EC on issues pertaining to the review of the mechanism of SSPA and the MOI Policy for Secondary Schools and associated arrangements, and recommend the long-term SSPA and MOI arrangements and the related implementation measures," she elaborated.

In accordance with the Education Reform timetable, the long-term SSPA arrangement should be implemented from the 2005/06 school year onwards.

Headed by Mr Michael Tien Puk-sun, the Working Group will work towards a long-term policy that is educationally sound and beneficial to the future development of Hong Kong.

"Mr Tien is indeed a good choice to head the Working Group. He is the Chairman of the Standing Committee on Language Education and Research and is therefore fully conversant with language issues. As a member of the EC, Mr Tien is closely involved in monitoring the implementation of the Education Reform in Hong Kong,"

"I am sure that the Working Group, under Mr Tien's able leadership, will listen to different voices and consult with a variety of sources in order to come up with a long term policy that is best for Hong Kong," Dr Wong added.

Other members of the Working Group are drawn from among frontline educators of the primary and secondary education sectors and academics from tertiary institutes. There are also school sponsoring body, government and business sector representatives.

The membership of the Working Group is as follows:

Chairman:
Mr Michael Tien Puk-sun
Members:
Mr Chan Wing-kwong
Dr Chan Wong Lai-kuen, Anissa
Professor Cheung Kwok-wah
Mr Fung Ka-ching
Mr Hon Hau-sut
Professor Lee Wing-on
Mrs Lam Fan Kit-fong, Fanny
Mrs Lee Shek Yuk-yu
Mr Lin Man-sheung
Mr Pang Yiu-kai
Mr Tai Hay-lap
Mrs Tse Ling Kit-ching, Cherry
Sr Wong May-may
Rev Yuen Tin-yau

Ends/Tuesday, July 22, 2003