| SCA says students' awareness of Basic Law enhanced |
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The Secretary for Constitutional Affairs, Mr Stephen Lam, today (September 8) pointed out that more people, in particular students, had increased their understanding of the Basic Law, citing the findings of a recent Government survey.
Mr Lam was speaking at the prize presentation ceremony of an Inter-school Basic Law Souvenir Cover Design Competition organised by the Constitutional Affairs Bureau and the Education and Manpower Bureau. He said that while there was a 10 percentage-point increase in the number of people who had heard of the Basic Law (ie from 80 per cent in 2000 to 90 per cent in 2002), the relevant percentage of students had jumped significantly from 80 per cent to 98 per cent. Mr Lam said that the survey findings showed that there was a significant increase in the understanding of the Basic Law among the public. He said, "We are committed to the promotion of Basic Law among the general public in Hong Kong." He also took the opportunity to thank the EMB, the Hongkong Post and the Basic Law Promotion Steering Committee for making the competition a success. Over the past few years, the Basic Law Promotion Steering Committee and its four working groups have been organising a variety of programmes for target groups which include teachers and students (the other target groups are the local community, the civil service and overseas audiences). The Working Group on Teachers and Students, besides holding an exhibition on "The National Flag, Emblem and Anthem of the People's Republic of China" in July, has commissioned the Hong Kong Institute of Education to organise a series of civic education teacher development programmes which include modules on the Basic Law for primary and secondary school teachers for the school year 2003/04. Moreover, the CAB is contemplating a public speaking competition and a quiz for secondary school students for the current school year. Today's competition with the theme "Implementing One Country Two Systems, Enhancing Stability and Prosperity", forms part of the programme to promote Basic Law among the public and to enhance the understanding of the Basic Law among students and its relevance to the daily life of Hong Kong people. The first-prize winning entries of the Inter-school Basic Law Souvenir Cover Design Competition have been adopted for the production of souvenir covers by the Hongkong Post. Upon its close for submission on June 30, about 1,400 entries from 43 schools were received. Every winning student was awarded a book coupon (valued from $100 to $1,000), a souvenir cover and a Certificate of Merit. The results of individual awards are as follows - Junior Secondary Group (Secondary 1 to 3): ----------------------------------------- First Prize Fung Kai Liu Man Shek Cheng Ho Yan Tong Secondary School First Runner-up T.W.G.Hs. Li Ka Shing Kwok Ho Yeung College Second Runner-up Pok Oi Hospital Chan Wong Pak Kwan Kai Memorial College Merit Prizes Helen Liang Memorial Chan Tsz Wai Secondary School (Shatin) CMA Choi Cheung Kok Ng Sum Yi Secondary School CMA Choi Cheung Kok Tam Siu Man Secondary School Po Leung Kuk Celine Wu Shuk Hing Ho Yam Tong College Senior Primary Group (Primary 4 to 6): -------------------------------------- First Prize S.K.H. Tin Wan Chi Nam Tsui Cheong Ying Primary School First Runner-up Po Leung Kuk Horizon Lau Yin Cheung East Primary School Second Runner-up Buddhist Wing Yan Poon Yick Kwan School (A.M.) Merit Prizes Po Leung Kuk Chong Kee Chan Tung Mui Ting Primary School St. Edward's Catholic Lam Po Ling Primary School Po Leung Kuk Chong Kee Law Cheuk Man Ting Primary School S.K.H. Tin Wan Chi Nam To Ying Tung Primary School Shap Pat Heung Rural Suen Weng I Committee Kung Yik She Primary School Students of the winning schools of the Most Active Participation Award, who had submitted their entries each received a souvenir cover. The Award was made to Ma On Shan St. Joseph's Secondary School and Baptist(Sha Tin Wai) Lui Ming Choi Primary School, in the Junior Secondary and Senior Primary Groups respectively. The adjudication panel comprised Dr Albert Li Sze-bay(a member of the Basic Law Promotion Steering Committee and the convenor of the Working Group on Teachers and Students), Mr Bon Kwan (a renowned designer who has been designing stamps and other philatelic items for the Hongkong Post in the last few years, and was responsible for designing the Tenth Anniversary of the Promulgation of the Basic Law souvenir cover) and former Deputy Secretary for Constitutional Affairs, Mr Issac Chow. The souvenir covers will be on sale from tomorrow (September 9). A special postmark will be available for stamping on the official issue date on September 24. Together with the two first prize entries, the designs of all the other winners will be on display at the Postal Gallery on G/F of the General Post Office until September 24. End/Monday, September 8, 2003 |