For discussion
on 3 February 1999

PWSC(98-99)66

ITEM FOR PUBLIC WORKS SUBCOMMITTEE OF FINANCE COMMITTEE

HEAD 708 -CAPITAL SUBVENTIONS AND MAJOR SYSTEMS AND EQUIPMENT
Education Subventions
61EB -Extension and conversion to Hong Kong and Kowloon Chiu Chow School
    Members are invited to recommend to Finance Committee to approve a new commitment of $30.85 million in money-of-the-day prices for the construction of an assembly hall block extension and conversion works to the existing school buildings of the Hong Kong and Kowloon Chiu Chow School.

PROBLEM

The existing Hong Kong and Kowloon Chiu Chow School lacks the essential facilities to meet the requirements of the curriculum and teaching initiatives introduced in recent years.

PROPOSAL

2. The Director of Education (D of E), on the advice of the Director of Architectural Services (D Arch S) and with the support of the Secretary for Education and Manpower, proposes to create a new commitment at an estimated cost of $30.85 million in money-of-the-day (MOD) prices to construct an assembly hall block extension and carry out conversion works to the existing Hong Kong and Kowloon Chiu Chow School building in Mongkok, Kowloon.

PROJECT SCOPE AND NATURE

3. The proposed project consists of the construction of an assembly hall block extension and conversion works to the school's existing building.

4. The assembly hall block will be an extension to the existing school building and has been designed to suit the site conditions. The design of the extension block is based upon basic guidelines set out by D Arch S and complies with the relevant statutory requirements. It will provide -

  1. an assembly hall;

  2. a covered playground;

  3. a student activity centre;

  4. a staff common room;

  5. a computer assisted learning room;

  6. a conference room; and

  7. ancillary accommodation including a lift and relevant facilities for the handicapped.

5. For the existing school premises, conversion works will be carried out to provide -

  1. a language room;

  2. an interview/guidance activity room;

  3. an enlarged computer room (the floor area increased from 55 square metres to 110 square metres); and

  4. ancillary facilities.

Three existing classrooms will be converted to provide space for the additional facilities.

6. Upon completion of the assembly hall block extension and the conversion works, the school will have the following facilities -

  1. 30 classrooms;

  2. 13 special rooms including an enlarged computer room, a computer-assisted learning room and a language room;

  3. two remedial teaching rooms;

  4. an interview/guidance activity room;

  5. three staff rooms and a staff common room;

  6. a student activity centre;

  7. a conference room;

  8. a library;

  9. an assembly hall;

  10. a multi-purpose area;

  11. a covered playground; and

  12. ancillary accommodation including a lift and relevant facilities for the handicapped

JUSTIFICATION

7. The Hong Kong and Kowloon Chiu Chow School currently operates 30 classes ranging from Secondary One to Secondary Seven consisting of some 1 200 students. The existing school building was built in 1957 and contains the following facilities -

  1. 33 classrooms;

  2. 12 special rooms;

  3. two remedial teaching rooms;

  4. three staff rooms;

  5. a library;

  6. a multi-purpose area; and

  7. a conference room.

However, the school does not have certain facilities considered essential by today's accommodation standards commensurate with the prevailing standard design for a public sector secondary school, namely; an assembly hall, a covered playground, a computer-assisted learning room, a language room, an interview/guidance activity room and a student activities centre.

8. In line with our established policy, we propose to improve the school's environment and facilities to the latest standard design and schedule of accommodation for a secondary school, as far as practicable. We believe these improvement measures will contribute positively to the teaching and learning effectiveness of the school.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

9. D of E estimates the capital cost of the project to be $30.85 million in MOD prices (see paragraph 10 below). The estimated cost, which is acceptable to D Arch S, is made up as follows -

$ million
(a) Foundation2.31
(b) Building15.13
(c) Building services3.50
(d) Drainage and external works0.68
(e) Conversion works1.31
(f) Contingencies1.03
(g) Consultants' fees for1.85
    (i) contract administration
1.79
    (ii) site supervision
0.06
(h) Furniture and equipment11.15
______
Sub-total26.96(at December
1997 prices)
(i) Provision for price adjustment3.89
______
Total30.85(in MOD prices)
______

The construction floor area of the proposed extension is 2 810 square metres. The construction unit cost, represented by building and building services costs, is $6,630 per square metre at December 1997 prices. D Arch S considers this cost to be reasonable.

10. Subject to approval, we will phase the expenditure of the project as follows -

Year$ million
(Dec 1997)		Price
adjustment
factor		$ million
(MOD)
1999 - 200020.861.1289023.55
2000 - 016.101.196637.30
__________________
26.9630.85
__________________

11. We derived the MOD estimate on the basis of the Government's latest forecast of trend labour and construction prices for the period 1999 to 2001. We will tender the works under a fixed price lump-sum contract because we can define the scope of works in advance, leaving little room for uncertainty.

12. We estimate the additional annually recurrent expenditure arising from the additional facilities for the school to be $780,000.

PUBLIC CONSULTATION

13. We have worked out the proposed improvement items in consultation with the school operators. The latter are satisfied with the additional facilities. Since the proposed extension and conversion works will be carried out within the existing school boundary, we do not consider it necessary to carry out public consultation.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS

14. D of E completed a Preliminary Environmental Review (PER) for the project in March 1998. The PER concluded that the impact of traffic and railway noise on the proposed assembly hall block would be within the criteria stipulated in the Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines. The Director of Environmental Protection vetted the PER and agreed that no Environmental Impact Assessment would be necessary.

15. We will control noise, dust and site run-off nuisances during construction to within established standards and guidelines through the implementation of appropriate mitigation measures in the relevant contracts.

LAND ACQUISITION

16. The project does not require land acquisition.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

17. With an allocation of $773,000 from block allocation Subhead 8100QX, the consultant engaged by D of E has completed the preliminary project feasibility study, site investigation, detailed design work and general and structural building plans for the project. Subject to approval of this submission, we plan to start the construction and conversion works in April 1999 for completion in May 2000.

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Education and Manpower Bureau
January 1999
(61EB.DOC)

Enclosure to PWSC(98-99)66

61EB - Extension and conversion to
Hong Kong and Kowloon Chiu Chow School

DETAILS OF CONSULTANTS' FEES

Breakdown of estimates for consultants' fees

Category of work/itemEstimated
man
months 		Average
MPS*
salary
point 		Multiplier
factor 		Estimated
fee
($ million)
(I) Contract administration
(a) Architectural discipline Professional
Technical 		5.2
3.6 		40
16 		2.4
2.4 		0.73
0.17
(b) Structural engineering discipline Professional
Technical 		2.1
1.2 		40
16 		2.4
2.4 		0.30
0.06
(c) Building services discipline Professional
Technical 		0.6
1.8 		40
16 		2.4
2.4 		0.09
0.09
(d) Quantity surveying discipline Professional
Technical 		2.2
0.8 		40
16 		2.4
2.4 		0.31
0.04
______
Sub-total1.79
(II) Site supervision
(a) Architectural discipline Technical 1.8 16 1.7 0.06
______
Sub-total0.06
______
Total1.85
______

* MPS = Master Pay Scale

Notes

1. A multiplier factor of 2.4 is applied to the average MPS point to arrive at the full staff costs including the consultants’ overheads and profit, as the staff will be employed in the consultant's office (as at 1.4.1997, MPS pt. 40 is $59,210 per month and MPS pt. 16 is $19,860 per month). A multiplier factor of 1.7 is applied in the case of site staff supplied by the consultants.

2. The figures given above are based on estimates prepared by the Director of Education which have been agreed by the Director of Architectural Services.

(61EB.DOC)

1[ The cost of furniture and equipment related to the provision of standard facilities to an existing public sector school is borne by Government.]