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EDUCATION
close relations with universities, polytechnics and colleges, British Government depart- ments, local education authorities, the British Council, welfare organisations and, in the case of trainee nurses, medical authorities.
In addition to advising and assisting individual students, it maintained close contact with the Hong Kong student community through college-based student societies. The Hong Kong Student Centre in London closed in July because of diminishing use of its facilities.
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, 4 518 students went to Britain during the year, while 2 953 went to Canada, 1 872 to the United States and 564 to Australia.
Student Finance
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Full-time students attending the local tertiary institutions are eligible for grants to cover their faculty expenses, tuition fees and student union fees, together with interest-free loans to meet their living expenses. During the year 8 725 students received grants totalling $37.5 million and 9 860 students received loans totalling $78.1 million. This scheme is adminis- tered by the University and Polytechnic Grants Committee.
Also administered by the UPGC is a joint-funding arrangement between the United Kingdom Government and the Hong Kong Government, under the terms of which grants are made to full-time students attending first degree or Higher National Diploma courses in the United Kingdom, to meet the difference between home and overseas student fees. During the year, grants totalling £3.8 million were paid to 116 institutions on behalf of 1 360 students.
British Council
The aim of the British Council in Hong Kong is to reinforce and help develop education and cultural links with Britain. Perhaps the best known of the council's activities in Hong Kong is the English Language Teaching operation, which has 85 qualified teachers. During the year 25 000 students enrolled on 12-week courses of three hours per week, and around 500 primary and secondary school teachers received in-service training sponsored by the Education Department. Special courses were also designed for private sector organisations, including a 12-month full-time course for 25 middle managers.
The Educational Counselling Service provides advice to students on educational oppor- tunities in the United Kingdom and has become increasingly popular. In addition, two major missions of academics from Britain visited Hong Kong during the year, providing advice to students and discussing possible areas of collaboration with their Hong Kong counterparts.
British specialists visiting Hong Kong were mainly in the areas of Education and English Language Teaching. The British Council also sponsored a specialist in Education for the Deaf, and Dr J. R. Moss from the Independent Broadcasting Authority to give lectures and seminars on Educational Technology to the major audio-visual units in Hong Kong educational institutions. Scholarships were given in many subject areas, ranging from Stage Management and Lighting, to Robotics and Automated Systems.
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