The Education Bureau today (August 30) announced the appointment of five new members and re-appointment of 11 incumbent members to the Committee on Home-School Co-operation (CHSC) for two years with effect from September 1, 2019.

     The five newly appointed members are Mr Brian Cheung Ngai-hoi, Mr Ho Ting-hong, Miss Lam Ka-man, Ms Diana Lee Wei-kit and Ms Jane Leung Chui-chun.

     The 11 incumbent members re-appointed are Dr Chui Yat-hung, Mr Eugene Fong Yick-jin, Ms Elizabeth Ho Yee-ha, Dr Hui Lung-kit, Dr Lam Hiu-fung, Dr Leung Wing-hung, Ms Li Hei-lam, Mr Benjamin Ng Yau-keung, Mr Raymond Poon Tak-cheong, Mr Raphael Tong Tai-wai and Ms Charis Yuen Fung-yi.

     The CHSC comprises members from different walks of life including parents as well as professionals in the education, medical, engineering, accountancy and commercial sectors. Two young people, Mr Ho Ting-hong and Miss Lam Ka-man, are appointed through the Member Self-recommendation Scheme for Youth.

     Established in 1993 as an advisory body, the CHSC's main roles include promoting home-school co-operation and advising the Education Bureau, other government departments and non-government organisations on ways to promote parent involvement in education.

     The CHSC is also tasked to encourage the setting up of parent-teacher associations (PTAs) and Federations of PTAs (FPTAs). To date, all government and aided schools have set up their PTAs and various districts have set up their FPTAs.

     The full membership list of the CHSC of the new term is as follows:

Name                                                          Capacity
——                                                           ——–
                            
Chairman
Mr Henry Tong Sau-chai                                Parent

Members
Mr Benjamin Ng Yau-keung                           Educator – Secondary School
Ms Anny Wong Shui-kuk                               Educator – Secondary School
Ms Elizabeth Ho Yee-ha                                Educator – Primary School
Ms Jane Leung Chui-chun*                           Educator – Primary School
Dr Leung Wing-hung                                    Educator – Special School
Ms Charis Yuen Fung-yi                                Educator – Kindergarten
Dr Chui Yat-hung                                         Parent – Secondary School
Ms Diana Lee Wei-kit*                                  Parent – Secondary School
Dr Lam Hiu-fung                                          Parent – Primary School
Mr Raymond Poon Tak-cheong                       Parent – Primary School
Ms Li Hei-lam                                              Parent – Special School
Mr Brian Cheung Ngai-hoi*                           Parent – Kindergarten
Mr Eugene Fong Yick-jin                               Other Sectors/Professional
Mr Ho Ting-hong*                                        Other Sectors/Professional
Dr Hui Lung-kit                                            Other Sectors/Professional
Ms Lam Ka-man*                                         Other Sectors/Professional
Ms Emily Mok Fung-yee                                Other Sectors/Professional
Mr Raphael Tong Tai-wai                               Other Sectors/Professional

* Newly appointed member

     The "Quarterly Report on General Household Survey" for April to June 2019 is now available for download.

     The report contains statistics on labour force, employment, unemployment and underemployment for the second quarter of 2019. It also contains detailed analyses of the characteristics of different categories of members of the labour force, including their age, sex, educational attainment, employment status, occupation, industry, hours worked per week and monthly employment earnings. Information on reasons for leaving last job and duration of unemployment for the unemployed is also presented.

     Users can download the report free of charge from the website of the Census and Statistics Department (www.censtatd.gov.hk/hkstat/sub/sp200.jsp?productCode=B1050001).

     The summary of broad survey findings published in the report is shown in Table 1 attached. Enquiries about the contents of the report can be directed to the Household Statistics Analysis Section, Census and Statistics Department (Tel: 2887 5508 or email: ghs@censtatd.gov.hk).

A girl who went missing in Chai Wan has been located.

Tsoi Ching-tung, aged 15, went missing after she was last seen on Holy Cross Path on July 6 morning. Her social worker made a report to Police on July 8.

The girl was located in Wo Che Estate, Sha Tin last night (August 29). She sustained no injuries and no suspicious circumstances were detected.

     The Immigration Department (ImmD) mounted a territory-wide anti-illegal worker operation codenamed "Twilight" from August 26 to 29. A total of 15 illegal workers and six suspected employers were arrested.

     During the operation, ImmD Task Force officers raided 60 target locations including a car park, commercial buildings, a factory, a garbage collection depot, premises under renovation, a recycling site, restaurants, a studio and a wet market. The illegal workers comprised 12 men and three women, aged 24 to 63. Among them, one man and one woman were suspected of using and being in possession of forged Hong Kong identity cards. Meanwhile, two men and four women, aged 33 to 73, were suspected of employing the illegal workers.
      
     "Any person who contravenes a condition of stay in force in respect of him shall be guilty of an offence. Also, visitors are not allowed to take employment in Hong Kong, whether paid or unpaid, without the permission of the Director of Immigration. Offenders are liable to prosecution and upon conviction face a maximum fine of $50,000 and up to two years' imprisonment. Aiders and abettors are also liable to prosecution and penalties," an ImmD spokesman said.

      The spokesman warned that it is an offence to use or possess a forged Hong Kong identity card or a Hong Kong identity card related to another person. Offenders are liable to prosecution and a maximum penalty of a $100,000 fine and up to 10 years' imprisonment.

     The spokesman reiterated that it is a serious offence to employ people who are not lawfully employable. The maximum penalty is imprisonment for three years and a fine of $350,000. The High Court has laid down sentencing guidelines that the employer of an illegal worker should be given an immediate custodial sentence. According to the court sentencing, employers must take all practicable steps to determine whether a person is lawfully employable prior to employment. Apart from inspecting a prospective employee's identity card, the employer has the explicit duty to make enquiries regarding the person and ensure that the answers would not cast any reasonable doubt concerning the lawful employability of the person. The court will not accept failure to do so as a defence in proceedings. It is also an offence if an employer fails to inspect the job seeker's valid travel document if the job seeker does not have a Hong Kong permanent identity card. The maximum penalty for failing to inspect such a document is imprisonment for one year and a fine of $150,000.

     Under the existing mechanism, the ImmD will, as a standard procedure, conduct initial screening of vulnerable persons, including illegal workers, illegal immigrants, sex workers and foreign domestic helpers, who are arrested during any operation with a view to ascertaining whether they are trafficking in persons (TIP) victims. When any TIP indicator is revealed in the initial screening, the officers will conduct a full debriefing and identification by using a standardised checklist to ascertain the presence of TIP elements, such as threat and coercion in the recruitment phase and the nature of the exploitation. Identified TIP victims will be provided with various forms of support and assistance, including urgent intervention, medical services, counselling, shelter, temporary accommodation and other supporting services. The ImmD calls on TIP victims to report crimes to the relevant departments.

Attention TV/radio announcers:

Please broadcast the following as soon as possible and repeat it at regular intervals:

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (August 30) that due to an insufficient number of lifeguards on duty, the lifesaving services at Golden Beach and â€‹Cafeteria New Beach in Tuen Mun District have been suspended until further notice.

     First aid services will be maintained at these beaches.