The Education Bureau has partnered with the Environmental Protection Department to launch the Computer Recycling Programme in the 2008-09 and 2009-10 school years to help needy students gain access to computers and the Internet.

Secretary for Labour & Welfare Matthew Cheung today told lawmakers the department will help provide refurbished computers to needy students while the bureau will arrange a one-year free Internet access service for them.

After the initial year of free service, the designated Internet service provider will continue to offer them a favourable Internet access service plan. The programme is tentatively scheduled to commence in early 2009.

Students from families receiving social security are entitled to a full range of special grants to meet their educational expenses, Mr Cheung reiterated.

The bureau has granted a recurrent subsidy to all primary and secondary schools since the 1999-2000 school year to encourage them to open computer rooms and facilities for students' after-school use.