NG KANG-CHUNG
KC.NG@SCMP.COM
PUBLISHED : Monday, 31 August, 2015, 7:00am
UPDATED : Monday, 31 August, 2015, 7:00am
Education minister Eddie Ng says schools can test water for lead content as long as they follow proper procedures. Photo: Dickson Lee
Hong Kong’s education authorities have in effect made a U-turn over whether schools should conduct tests on their own for lead levels in tap water amid the growing lead-in-water scare.
Secretary for Education Eddie Ng Hak-kim said yesterday that it did not object to schools conducting their own tests as long as they followed proper procedures.
His statement contrasted with that made by permanent secretary for education Marion Lai Chan Chi-kuen, who said in a radio interview on Friday that “we do not particularly encourage [schools to test water on their own] because the queue is very long [for testing of samples]”.
In a report on Saturday, the Chinese-language Ming Pao Daily News quoted the bureau as giving the same line in response to its inquiry.
The bureau’s stance drew fiecre public criticism, with the Professional Teachers’ Union calling the bureau irresponsible.
Ng said yesterday: “We have never opposed schools conducting water tests on their own … But we [reminded schools in a notice] that when they test water, they need to follow the proper procedures.
“Otherwise, the results will not be representative and all their efforts will be wasted.”
Otherwise, the results will not be representative and all their efforts will be wasted
EDDIE NG HAK-KIM
Ng said the government believed the top priority was to arrange for the bulk purchase of water filters for schools and kindergartens.
The government earlier announced that public schools and those operating under direct subsidy schemes built in or after 2005 would have filters installed.
Meanwhile, the first batch of 50 residents on Lower Ngau Tau Kok Estate – one of the 10 public housing estates affected by the lead-in-water crisis – were scheduled for blood tests yesterday at Hong Kong Sanatorium and Hospital in Happy Valley.
The hospital is among six private hospitals joining the government’s blood-testing programme to help cut the long queue of people waiting for tests. The first private hospital to offer the service was Union Hospital in Tai Wai.
Four other private hospitals which will join later are Baptist Hospital in Kowloon Tong, St Teresa’s in Kowloon City, St Paul’s in Causeway Bay and Adventist Hospital.
Additional reporting by Elizabeth Cheung
http://m.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1853909/hong-kongs-education-minister-shifts-stance-lead
