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British Council
EDUCATION
More than 35 000 students attended classes at all levels, from beginners in English Language to university-level English Literature, under the British Council's English Language Teaching Programme. A further 5 000 secondary school children attended the Summer School. Refresher courses for primary and secondary school teachers of English, commissioned by the Education Department, were expanded in April, and the council's own teachers - all native English speakers - maintained high standards by in-house training leading to Royal Society of Arts professional qualifications and external MA programmes in Applied Linguistics. Language courses were held for the government and many private organisations, and assistance was given to the public sector education field in training, audio visual, and testing and evaluation skills.
The library, which acts as a focal point for enquiries about Britain and British education, continued to develop. This included expansion of its English language teaching section for the use of English teachers throughout the territory. The council arranged visits to the United Kingdom for some 60 people on visits, bursaries and exchange programmes and brought more than 30 specialists to Hong Kong at the request of local institutions. Four British Council Postgraduate Scholarships were awarded for study in Britain, and four more scholarships were administered by the council on behalf of the Sino-British Fellow- ship Trust.
The council continued to play an active part in the cultural scene, participating in the tours of the Royal Ballet and the London Symphony Orchestra and supplying the films for the British Film Week.
Hong Kong Students in Britain
The Students Division of the Hong Kong Government Office in London is responsible for the welfare of Hong Kong students and nurses in training in the United Kingdom.
The division continued to work closely with the Education Department and other government departments in Hong Kong. It monitored developments in education in the United Kingdom and, in order to promote the interests of Hong Kong students, main- tained close relations with universities and colleges, departments of the United Kingdom Government, local education authorities, the British Council, welfare organisations and, in the case of trainee nurses, the medical authorities.
During the year, a new scheme of financial assistance, the United Kingdom-Hong Kong Joint Funding Scheme, was launched. The scheme, which is means-tested, is designed to assist Hong Kong students on first degree or Higher National Diploma courses to meet the difference between the home and overseas fees.
The Hong Kong Students Centre in London, which serves as a focal point for the student community, provides accommodation for up to 90 students.
Hong Kong Students Overseas
The Overseas Students and Scholarships Section of the Education Department gives advice to students wishing to further their education overseas and supplies information on educational establishments in Britain and other countries. Altogether 5 547 students went to Britain during the year, 3 946 to Canada for secondary or higher education, 2 088 to the United States and 757 to Australia.