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The following is a statement from the Chairman of the Board of Education, Mr Moses Cheng, in response to the Education Policy Initiatives of the Policy Address:

"I very much welcome the strategic direction and package of initiatives on education announced in the Policy Address. This is a visionary and pragmatic Policy Address. It reflects the high degree of importance that the Government attaches to education and its long-term commitment in this area. The initiatives not only address the difficulties and needs of frontline educators in implementing the education reform and in providing quality education, they also pay attention to the developmental needs of students as well as aiming to enhance the language foundation of students at an early stage.

The Board of Education will continue to support the Government fully in the education reform. We will cooperate and work together with the education sector, parents and the business community in our efforts to provide quality education for our children.

I look forward to the positive response and commitment of the community as a whole, in particular, parents and the business sector towards improving the quality of the local workforce so that Hong Kong would become a real knowledge-based economy and Hong Kong's competitiveness on the global front may be enhanced."

End/Wednesday, October 10, 2001

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