HONG KONG 2004 - Education

The Secretary for Education and Manpower (SEM), who heads the Education and Manpower Bureau of the Government Secretariat, formulates and reviews education policy, secures funds in the government budget, and oversees the effective implementation of educational programmes. The Permanent Secretary for Education and Manpower (PSEM) assists in formulating, coordinating and implementing education policies with the support of the bureau.

School education services come under the Education Ordinance. School operators must comply with the provisions of the ordinance and the subsidiary legislation covering areas such as registration of schools, teachers and managers, health and safety requirements, fees and charges and teacher qualifications.

Amendments have been made under the Education (Miscellaneous Amendments) Ordinance 2004 to streamline the registration procedure for day and evening schools, enhance the mode of operation of the Appeals Boards Panel, raise the professional standards of teachers and allow schools and post secondary colleges to conduct courses on general holidays.

The Education Ordinance amended by the Education (Amendment) Ordinance 2004, which will come into operation on January 1, 2005, aims at implementing a school-based management governance framework in aided schools and requires aided schools to establish their incorporated management committees to manage the schools.

To foster self-regulatory control of private schools offering non-formal curriculum, with effect from July 1, 2004, such schools are exempt from certain requirements of the provisions of the Education Ordinance and Education Regulations relating to fees, employment of teachers, teachers' qualifications, principals, holidays and hours of instruction subject to their compliance with conditions specified in the Education (Exemption) (Private Schools Offering Non-formal Curriculum) Order.

The Vocational Training Council Ordinance provides for the establishment, functions and management of the VTC, the main body responsible for vocational education and technical training. Its membership comprises representatives from the industry, commerce and service sectors, employee representatives and government officials.

The Post-Secondary Colleges Ordinance covers institutions offering post-secondary courses. There are currently three approved post-secondary colleges registered under the ordinance, namely the Hong Kong Shue Yan College, the Caritas Francis Hsu College and the Chu Hai College of Higher Education.

The Non-local Higher and Professional Education (Regulation) Ordinance took effect in June 1997 to protect Hong Kong consumers by guarding against the marketing of substandard non-local courses conducted in Hong Kong.