RESITING OF AIDED SCHOOLS (Policy)

Mr Ng Kah Ting asked the Minister for Law whether he will consider not to impose the general principle requiring an aided school to hand over the land on which the school stands to the Government in exchange for relocation to a new site or to build a new school if the land does not belong to the school.

The Second Minister for Law (Prof. S. Jayakumar) (for the Minister for Law): Mr Speaker, Sir, our policy on alienation of State land for the purpose of relocation of an aided school is on the basis of quid pro quo exchange of land whereby the existing school site will be exchanged for the new site. This is to prevent any school site from being used for land speculation. The surrendered school sites will then be put to some other public uses. The Government has consistently adhered to this policy of quid pro quo exchange in all cases of relocation of aided schools, even in cases where the land on which the existing school stood did not belong to the school, such as Paya Lebar Methodist Girls' School and Geylang Methodist Girls' School where the land belonged to the Church. Also, most mission school sites are on land owned by the missions or churches that manage the schools. To make an exception of any school without very good reasons would create an undesirable and awkward precedent and lead to request for consideration in future cases as well as those previously dealt with.

Mr Ng Kah Ting: In that case, Mr Speaker, Sir, could I ask of the Hon. Minister if he will consider not to impose the quid pro quo exchange should the mission concerned be able to give an assurance that the premises to be vacated by the present school will be needed by another of its educational institution for its expansion or extension purposes?

Prof. Jayakumar: Mr Speaker, Sir, I am aware of the representation made by the Member in respect of Montfort School. Of course, we will not be able to resolve the specific case here in this House. But if in that particular case it can be shown to the Ministry and to the Land Office that the existing site is indeed needed for expansion of another school and if that has the support of the Ministry of Education, my Ministry will indeed give it the most serious consideration.