HONG KONG: The Education Bureau will decide whether to provide a government subsidy to Christian Zheng Sheng College, once a review of the school's teaching program is completed, said a top official.

The private boarding school for young recovering drug abusers and kids facing other difficulties is currently the focus of vigorous resistance over its proposal to move to a vacant campus in Mui Wo. The government supports the relocation plan, but local residents are stringently opposed.

Under secretary for education Kenneth Chen Wei-on noted the Christian Zheng Sheng Association had received government subsidies on its drug rehabilitation centers some time ago, but the college itself is not government-subsidized under the current system.

Chen told lawmakers at a special meeting of the Legislative Council's education panel yesterday that he hopes to meet with the Christian Zheng Sheng Association to discuss possible funding arrangements to help the school.

Last month, Heung Yee Kuk, a rural affairs advisory group, proposed several alternate sites for the school's relocation, citing community opposition as the principal reason why the college should not move to its preferred site, the former New Territories Heung Yee Kuk Southern District Secondary School.

David Wong Fuk-loi, principal assistant secretary of the security bureau, said the bureau had inspected the alternative sites and will hold further discussions with Heung Yee Kuk and the Island District Council about the proposal.

Concern groups yesterday also urged the government to pour more resources into youth drug rehabilitation work and give more support to schools and parents in helping to deal with the youth drug abuse problem.

Leticia Lau Lee See-yin, the president of the Federation of Parent-Teacher Associations of Yau, Tsim and Mongkok Districts, urged the government to arrange that a social worker serve at each primary school to offer assistance to troubled kids as early as possible.

Wong Hak-lim, the vice-president of the Hong Kong Professional Teachers' Union, suggested authorities deploy two social workers at each secondary school. Currently, only one social worker is stationed at each school.

(HK Edition 07/03/2009 page1)