PWSC(97-98)52
For discussion
on 15 October 1997

ITEM FOR PUBLIC WORKS
SUBCOMMITTEE OF FINANCE COMMITTEE

HEAD 703 - BUILDINGS
Education - Primary
225EP - Primary school in West Kowloon reclamation, Yau Ma Tei
230EP - Primary school in area 49A, Fanling

Members are invited to recommend to Finance Committee to revise the project scope of two new primary schools under 225EP and 230EP due to the provision of additional facilities and to increase their project estimates from a total amount of $137.7 million by $11.6 million to $149.3 million in money-of-the-day prices.

PROBLEM

Educational facilities are required in new primary schools to facilitate learning through information technology (IT) and language learning, and to provide a better learning and teaching environment.

PROPOSAL

2.The Director of Architectural Services (D Arch S), with the support of the Secretary for Education and Manpower, proposes to expand the project scope of two new primary schools under 225EP and 230EP to include a multi-media room, a language room, an additional staff room and a conference room, and to increase their project estimates from a total amount of $137.7 million by $11.6 million to $149.3 million in money-of-the-day (MOD) prices.

PROJECT SCOPE AND NATURE

3.The individual project scopes of the two primary schools are based on the present standard design for primary schools, which was adopted in 1995, and the present of accommodation which consists of the following -

1. Classroom Block;
   1. 30 classrooms;
   2. three staff rooms;
   3. three remedial teaching rooms;
   4. a guidance activity/interview room;
   5. two interview rooms;
   6. a student activity centre;
   7. a library; and
   8. ancillary facilities.

2. Hall Block
   1. an assembly hall

3. Special Room Block
   1. four special rooms; and
   2. a staff common room.

4.For the reasons stated in paragraphs 8 to 12 below, we propose to include the following additional facilities in the scope of a standard design primary school building-

1. a multi-media room;

2. a language room;

3. an additional staff room;

4. a conference room; and

5. a multi-purpose area.

5.D Arch S is now revising the standard design of primary schools to include these additional facilities. He estimates that those new primary schools scheduled for completion in 2000 will be the earliest possible batch to adopt the new design. In view of the difficulties we have encountered in identifying additional school sites, D Arch S will try to keep the site area of the revised design within the present standard of 6 200 square metres so as not to make reservation of school sites even more difficult in future.

6.Given the merits of the proposed facilities, we are keen to include as many of them as possible in new schools to be completed before 2000, provided doing so will not delay their completion. In this regard, D Arch S expects that it is possible to include all of the additional facilities listed in paragraph 4 above under 225EP and 230EP without altering the scheduled completion date (1999), other than the multi-purpose area.

7.To make room for the additional facilities set out in paragraphs 4(a) to 4(d) above, two extra floors will be built on the Special Rooms Block. This proposed arrangement has been agreed by the Fire Services Department from the fire safety angle. The provision of such facilities will not lead to an increase in the site area.

JUSTIFICATION

8.As regards paragraph 4(a), we are promoting the use of IT in teaching and learning across the curricula. At present there is no computer room in the standard design primary school. We need a multi-media room to facilitate teaching and learning of various subjects through IT, and to provide pupils with more hands-on experience with multi-media computers. Starting from the current school year, primary schools have been given IT facilities which they can deploy to the multi-media room to best suit the needs of their pupils.

9.As regards paragraph 4(b), there is at present no language room in a standard primary school for learning languages. The proposed language room is intended to provide a better environment for language learning, in particular spoken English and Putonghua, through listening comprehension, oral exercise and interactive activities. The Standing Committee on Language Education and Research (SCOLAR) is studying the use of multi-media technology in language learning. We will take SCOLAR's advice into consideration in proposing facilities for the language room in due course.

10.As regards paragraph 4(c), there are three staff rooms in a standard 30-classroom primary school, with an average area of about 240 square metres. About 90 square metres (37.5%) of the space is required for providing room for circulation and accommodating two computers for the School Administration and Management System (SAMS). The remaining area allows each of the 42 teachers a working space of 3 square metres for marking homework, preparing teaching material etc. This is barely sufficient. The proposed additional staff room would allow more working space for teachers.

11.As regards paragraph 4(d), there is now no conference room in a standard primary school but meetings of different sizes are held frequently throughout a school year. Currently these meetings are held in classrooms, school halls and other venues (e.g. library) subject to availability. Such arrangements affect the usual activities of the school and are very unsatisfactory. On the other hand, with the promotion of school-based management and home-school co-operation, we expect more staff meetings and meetings of parents-teachers associations and alumni associations to be held in future. These often involve a large number of participants. The proposed conference room would provide a proper venue for the existing activities and support school-based management and home-school co-operation. It could also be used for activities such as workshops/seminars on staff development. We propose to have a conference room large enough to hold meetings for up to 60 participants as meetings of 35 to 60 participants would be held frequently. However, to allow flexibility in the use of the conference room and to maximise its use, we will provide a folding partition to divide the conference room into smaller units for meetings with fewer participants when necessary.

12.As regards paragraph 4(e), there is now inadequate space for pupils to have lunch and for conducting physical education classes, out-of-classroom and recess activities during inclement weather. Parallel to the implementation of whole-day primary schooling, we need to provide a proper venue for pupils to stay in school for lunch. For safety reasons, we expect schools to require all pupils to stay in school for lunch if there is a proper venue. A central venue for lunch would also facilitate communication among pupils. The multi-purpose area would in effect increase the area of the covered playground, and schools can organise more activities such as concerts, performance and exhibitions for thematic studies.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

13.The approved and revised project estimates at December 1996 prices for the two projects are as follows-

14.The approved and revised project estimates for these projects in MOD prices are as follows-

A comparison of the detailed cost breakdown of the approved and revised project estimates at December 1996 prices of each of the two projects is at the Enclosure.

15.We have derived the MOD estimates on the basis of the Government's forecast of trend labour and construction prices for the period 1997 to 2001. We will tender the works under fixed-price lump sum contracts because we can clearly define the scope of works in advance, leaving little room for uncertainty.

16.We estimate the annually recurrent expenditure for each primary school to be $16.4 million. As the new schools will be operated as aided schools, the individual sponsoring bodies will bear the costs of furniture and equipment, estimated at $3.2 million for each primary school.

PUBLIC CONSULTATION

17.The relevant District Boards had been consulted before these projects were upgraded to Category A. There was no objection to the projects. We expect the public to welcome our current proposal to provide additional facilities and consider another round of public consultation unnecessary.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS

18.The proposed additional facilities for 225EP and 230EP would not be subject to adverse environmental impacts.

19.We will control noise, dust and site run-off nuisances during construction to comply with established standards/guidelines through the implementation of mitigation measures in the relevant works contracts.

LAND ACQUISITION

20.The proposed revision of approved project scopes and the increase in the approved project estimates do not require land acquisition.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

21.Finance Committee approved the upgrading of the two projects to Category A in June 1997. We have completed site investigations and are finalising the working drawings and tender documents for the two projects using in-house staff resources. We plan to start the construction works for 230EP in January 1998 and 225EP in March 1998 for completion of both projects in August 1999.

Education and Manpower Bureau
October 1997

(DD1148)

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Enclosure to PWSC(97-98)52

Comparison of the approved and revised project estimates

A comparison of the approved and revised cost estimates of 225EP and 230EP is as follows-

2.As regards (a) above, the increases of $1.1 million for 225EP and $0.4 million for 230EP are for additional piles required for the extra two floors on the Special Rooms Block.

3.As regards (b), the increases of $3 million each for 225EP and 230EP are for the additional structural, builder's and fitting-out works required for the construction of a multi-media room, a language room, a conference room and an additional staff room on the extra two floors of the Special Rooms Block.

4.As regards (c), the increases of $0.7 million each for 225EP and 230EP are for the additional building services work required for the construction of a multi-media room, a language room, a conference room and an additional staff room on the extra two floors of the Special Rooms Block.

5.As regards (e), the increase of $0.6 million for 225EP and $0.5 million for 230EP are for the proportional increase of contingencies in relation to the revised cost of the building works.

6.Subject to approval, we will phase the expenditure for 225EP and 230EP as follows-

(DD1148)