PWSC(97-98)140
For discussion
on 17 February 1998


ITEM FOR PUBLIC WORKS
SUBCOMMITTEE OF FINANCE COMMITTEE

HEAD 708 - CAPITAL SUBVENTIONS AND MAJOR SYSTEMS AND EQUIPMENT
Education Subventions
17EC - Improvement works to existing secondary schools based on the recommendations of the Education Commission Report No. 5, phase 3
18EC - Improvement works to existing primary schools based on the recommendations of the Education Commission Report No. 5, phase 3

Members are invited to recommend to the Finance Committee to -

  1. revise the project scope of 17EC and 18EC; and

  2. increase the project estimates of 17EC from $392.2 million by $1,096.5 million to $1,488.7 million, and of 18EC from $1,445.5 million by $746.7 million to $2,192.2 million in money-of-the-day prices respectively,

    to enable improvement works to be carried out at 38 non-standard aided secondary schools and 22 non-standard aided primary schools under phase 3 of the School Improvement Programme.

PROBLEM

The approved project scope and project estimates for 17EC and 18EC under Phase 3 of the School Improvement Programme (SIP) do not cover construction works for the non-standard aided schools listed in Enclosure 1. We need to revise the project scope and seek additional funds to carry out construction works at these schools.

PROPOSAL

2. On the advice of the Director of Architectural Services (D Arch S) and with the support of the Secretary for Education and Manpower, the Director of Education proposes to -

  1. revise the project scope of 17EC and 18EC to include construction works at non-standard aided schools listed at Enclosure 1; and

  2. increase the approved project estimates of 17EC from $392.2 million by $1,096.5 million to $1,488.7 million and of 18EC from $1,445.5 million by $ 746.7 million to $2,192.2 million in money-of-the-day (MOD) prices,

    so as to implement construction works at 38 non-standard aided secondary schools and 22 non-standard aided primary schools under 17EC and 18EC respectively in phase 3 of the SIP.

PROJECT SCOPE AND NATURE

3. The works will be carried out as extensions to the existing school buildings in the form of an annex or a roof-top extension. We will also provide access for the disabled, where technically feasible.

4. Under 17EC, we will provide additional facilities to the 38 non-standard aided secondary schools as recommended in the feasibility studies. Depending on individual site conditions, these additional facilities include additional classrooms, an additional staff room, a staff common room, two interview rooms and a student activity centre for each of the schools.

5. Under 18EC, we will provide additional facilities to the 22 non-standard aided primary schools as recommended in the feasibility studies. Depending on individual site conditions, these additional facilities include two remedial teaching rooms, an additional staff room, a staff common room, two interview rooms, a student activity centre and a library for each of the schools.

JUSTIFICATION

6. The 38 non-standard secondary schools under 17EC and the 22 non-standard primary schools under 18EC do not have adequate facilities to meet the requirements arising from changes in curriculum and teaching approaches in recent years. It is necessary to carry out improvement works at them. We have completed feasibility studies and confirmed the improvement works can be carried out to these schools.

7. We are now ready to implement the construction works and propose to revise the project scope and increase the project estimates of 17EC and 18EC to enable such works to proceed.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

8. D Arch S estimates that the total cost of implementing improvement works at 38 non-standard secondary schools and at 22 non-standard primary schools is $1,096.5 million in MOD prices for 17EC and $746.7 million in MOD prices for 18EC respectively, made up as follows -


17EC
(Secondary
Schools)

18EC
(Primary
Schools)



$ million

$ million


(a) Site investigation

6.8

6.0


(b) Piling

170.0

133.8


(c) Building

292.7

212.5


(d) Building services

127.7

80.4


(e) Drainage/external works

83.3

43.8


(f) Furniture and equipment

38.0

13.8


(g) Consultants' fees

85.8

56.4


(h) Contingencies

79.5

53.3


Sub-total

883.8

600.0

(at December
1996 prices)

(i) Inflation allowance

212.7

146.7


Total

1,096.5

746.7

(in MOD prices)

A breakdown by man-months of the estimates for consultants' fees for the two projects is at Enclosure 2.

9. Subject to Members' approval of the proposal, we will phase the expenditure of 17EC and 18EC as follows -

Year

$ million
(Dec 1996)

Price
adjustment
factor

$ million
(MOD)


17EC
$ million
(Dec 1996)

18EC


17EC
$ million
(MOD)

18EC

1998 - 99

308.9

200.9

1.16358

359.4

233.8

1999 - 00

505.3

340.6

1.26830

640.9

432.0

2000 - 01

69.6

58.5

1.38244

96.2

80.9

883.8

600.0


1,096.5

746.7

10. We have derived the MOD estimates on the basis of the Government's forecast of trend labour and construction prices over the period between 1998 and 2001. We will tender the works under a fixed-price lump-sum contract because we can clearly define the scope of works in advance, leaving little room for uncertainty.

11. We estimate that the proposed works under 17EC and 18EC will give rise to annually recurrent expenditures of $18.2 million and $10.4 million respectively for the 38 non-standard secondary schools and 22 non-standard primary schools.

PUBLIC CONSULTATION

12.In June 1992, we conducted extensive public consultation on the recommendations of Education Commission Report (ECR) No. 5 which was endorsed by the Executive Council in February 1993. The general public reaction on the recommendations of the ECR No. 5 was favourable. The SIP is one of the recommendations of ECR No. 5 and has been implemented since 1994. We have consulted all the schools listed at Enclosure 1. The proposed improvement works should be welcomed by the public.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS

13. The projects will have no long-term environmental impact. For those additional rooms in schools in this submission that will be subject to adverse traffic noise impact, we will provide window insulation and air-conditioning as recommended in the "Noise Abatement Programme in Schools" 1 at an estimated cost of $3.2 million and $9.1 million at December 1996 prices for 17EC and 18EC respectively. We have included these requirements in the overall project estimates of 17EC and 18EC.

14. We will control dust, noise and site run-off nuisances during construction through the implementation of the pollution control measures recommended by the Director of Environmental Protection for the SIP.

LAND ACQUISITION

15. The projects do not require land acquisition.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

16. The SIP aims at improving the quality of education through providing existing primary and secondary schools with additional space and facilities for teaching, out-of-class activities and supporting services for both teachers and students. In the 1996 Policy Commitments, the Administration announced its plan to implement the SIP at all public sector schools where improvement works can be carried out.

17. In May 1996, Finance Committee approved $78.4 million and $91.3 million in MOD prices under 17EC and 18EC respectively for employing consultants to conduct feasibility studies on improvement works at 72 aided secondary schools and 88 aided primary schools under phase 3 of the SIP.

18. In May 1997, we completed the feasibility studies for the 68 standard schools (51 primary and 17 secondary) of the 160 schools under phase 3 of the SIP. On 13 June 1997, the Finance Committee approved revised project estimates of $392.2 million and $1,445.5 million (in MOD prices) for 17EC and 18EC respectively to carry out the construction works at these schools. The works are due to commence shortly.

19. We have now completed the feasibility studies for the 92 non-standard schools remaining in phase 3 of the SIP. Of these schools, 19 were found to be non-feasible with regard to improvement works. We now plan to carry out improvement works at the remaining 73 schools. Subject to Member's approval of the proposal in this paper, we plan to start the construction works at the 60 schools listed in Enclosure 1 in July 1998 for completion by late 1999. Improvement works at the remaining 13 schools would be implemented in subsequent phases of the SIP.

20. Under phases 1 to 3 of the SIP, so far we have carried out feasibility studies on about 470 schools of which 384 have been found feasible for improvement works under phases 1 to 3 (including those mentioned in this paper). Works at 136 schools have been completed. Works at another 130 are in progress and works at 118 schools are under planning.


Education and Manpower Bureau
February 1998

(DD1183)

1We introduced the Noise Abatement Programme in schools to improve the quality of teaching rooms which are seriously affected by traffic noise.

Enclosure 1 to PWSC(97-98)140

List of aided non-standard schools with completed feasibility studies for implementation of improvement works

(I) 38 aided non-standard secondary schools (under 17EC)

    1. Po Kok Girls' Middle School

    2. St. Margaret's College

    3. SKH Holy Trinity Church Secondary School

    4. Ying Wa Girls' School

    5. SKH Lui Ming Choi Secondary School

    6. Pui Tak Canossian College

    7. STFA Seaward Woo College

    8. Pentecostal School

    9. Rosaryhill School

    10. Cheung Chuk Shan College

    11. TWGHs Chen Zao Man College

    12. St. Simon's Lui Ming Choi Secondary Technical School

    13. SKH Li Ping Secondary School

    14. Buddhist Sin Tak College

    15. TWGHs Mrs Wu York Yu Memorial College

    16. Kiangsu-Chekiang College (Kwai Chung)

    17. SKH Lam Woo Memorial Secondary School

    18. Chuen Yuen College

    19. Methodist College

    20. Pope Paul VI College

    21. DMHC Siu Ming Catholic Secondary School

    22. Hong Kong Sea School

    23. Pui Ying Secondary School

    24. SKH Kei Hau Secondary School

    25. Holm Glad College

    26. SKH Leung Kwai Yee Secondary School

    27. LST Wong Chung Ming Secondary School

    28. Po Leung Kuk No. 1 W.H. Cheung College

    29. St. Antonius Girls' College

    30. CCC Mong Man Wai College

    31. Tak Oi Secondary School

    32. Kit Sam Secondary School

    33. Ming Yin College

    34. Wa Ying College

    35. St. Catharine's School for Girls

    36. Buddhist Tai Hung College

    37. LST Yu Kan Hing School

    38. Cheung Sha Wan Catholic Secondary School

(II) 22 aided non-standard primary schools (under 18EC)

    1. SKH Fung Kei Primary School

    2. Maryknoll Convent School (subsidized Primary Section)

    3. St. Charles School

    4. Hop Yat Church School

    5. TWGHs Tsui Tsin Tong School

    6. PLK Yu Lee Mo Fan Memorial School

    7. Caritas Magdalene School

    8. Rotary Club of HK Is West Morninghope School

    9. Lions Morninghill School

    10. Sharon Lutheran School

    11. SSNA Lau Pun Cheung School

    12. Tsuen Wan Catholic Primary School

    13. Wanchai Church Kei To School

    14. Sha Tin Public School

    15. Pelletier School

    16. Chi Yun School

    17. Winifred Mary Cheung Morninghope School

    18. Wo Che Lutheran School

    19. PLK Stanley Ho Sau Nan Primary School

    20. Po Leung Kuk Centenary School

    21. Ko Fook Iu Memorial School

    22. PLK Mrs. Chan Nam Chong Memorial Primary School

(DD1183)

Enclosure 2 to PWSC(97-98)140

Details of Consultants' Fees

A breakdown of the estimates of consultants' fees for service to be rendered during the construction stage is as follows -

Consultants' staff costs


Estimated man-months

MPS
salary
point

Multiplier
factor

Estimated
fee
($ million)



17EC

18EC



17EC

18EC

Contract administration, co-ordination and project management








(i) architectural discipline

Professional Technical

145.03

98.59

105.92

86.04

40

16

3

3

24.1

5.5

17.6

4.8

(ii) structural engineering discipline

Professional Technical

58.97

30.47

46.93

23.30

40

16

3

3

9.8

1.7

7.8

1.3

(iii) building services engineering discipline

Professional Technical

39.12

121.89

23.46

53.77

40

16

3

3

6.5

6.8

3.9

3.0

(iv) quantity surveying discipline

Professional Technical

49.94

17.92

40.92

10.75

40

16

3

3

8.3

1.0

6.8

0.6

(v) geotechnical engineering discipline

Professional Technical

9.03

5.37

3.00

1.79

40

16

3

3

1.5

0.3

0.5

0.1

(vi) site supervision by resident site staff employed by the consultants

Professional Technical

42.98

391.81

6.87

235.59

40

16

2.1

2.1

5.0

15.3

0.8

9.2

Total consultants' staff cost

85.80

56.4

Note

We apply a multiplier factor of 3 to the average Master Pay Scale (MPS) point to arrive at the full staff costs including the consultants' overheads and profit, as the staff will be employed in the consultants' offices. We apply a multiplier factor of 2.1 in the case of site staff supplied by the consultants. (As at 1.4.1996, an officer on MPS point 40 is remunerated at $55,390 per month, while an officer on MPS point 16 is remunerated at $18,595 per month.)


(DD1183)