School-based Management

In return for the greater flexibility in school administration, schools have to be more transparent and accountable for their performance and the use of public funds. The Education Ordinance has been amended to provide for the participation of key stakeholders in schools' decision-making processes and the incorporation of school management committees.

The implementation of school-based management has been accompanied by an increasing emphasis on the school self-evaluation processes. Quality Assurance Inspections conducted by the EMB are being transformed into a new mode of external school review (ESR) to validate school self-evaluation (SSE) and provide an external impetus for schools to set priorities for improvement. By July 2004, 99 schools have undergone the ESR. It is anticipated that the EMB will conduct ESR in all schools within an anticipated four years and validate their SSE.

Governing Bodies of Tertiary Institutions

Each tertiary institution has its own structure of governance, as set out in its ordinance. The structure normally includes a governing body (called the council or the court) and a body to regulate academic affairs (called the senate or the academic board).

The Chief Executive of the HKSAR, or in his capacity as Chancellor of the universities, is empowered by the ordinances to appoint the chairman of each governing body, as well as a prescribed number of members. This ensures a balanced distribution of members from the industrial, commercial and academic fields.