EDUCATION
Most schools are in the public sector. The government directly manages a small proportion of primary and secondary schools, but most are operated by non-profit-making voluntary organisations which receive public funds under a code of aid. Tertiary insti- tutions are autonomous statutory bodies. Seven of them receive public funds through the University Grants Committee (UGC). A comprehensive, publicly-funded system of technical education and vocational training is provided by the statutory Vocational Training Council (VTC).
About 1.2 million students, or 20 per cent of the total population, were in full-time education during the year. They attended 2 200 institutions, and were taught by some 57 000 teachers assisted by a large number of support staff. There were some 146 600 candidates for the two local public examinations and 197 000 entries for overseas examinations.
The Legislative Framework
Any institution offering education to 20 or more students in a day, or to eight or more students at any one time, must operate in accordance with statutory requirements. The operation of schools (including kindergartens, primary and secondary schools, and commercial colleges) is governed by the Education Ordinance, which provides for the registration of schools, teachers and managers, and for attendance by children between the ages of six and 15.
The subsidiary Education Regulations cover a wide range of matters including health and safety, fees and charges, and the qualifications of teachers.
The Vocational Training Council Ordinance covers technical colleges, technical institutes, industrial training centres, and skills centres for the disabled. The Post-Secondary Colleges Ordinance covers institutions offering post-secondary courses outside the tertiary sector. Two important statutory bodies with a quality control role are the Hong Kong Examinations Authority and the Hong Kong Council for Academic Accreditation. The Education Scholarships Fund Ordinance provides for the administration of a large number of scholarships donated by generous members of the public.
The Government's Role
The Secretary for Education and Manpower, who heads the Education and Manpower Branch of the Government Secretariat, is responsible for formulating and reviewing education policy, securing funds in the government budget, liaising with the Legislative Council on educational issues, and overseeing the effective implementation of educational programmes.
The Director of Education, who heads the Education Department, is responsible for supervising education at kindergarten, primary and secondary levels. He also supervises Hong Kong Shue Yan College, the only institution registered under the Post-Secondary Colleges Ordinance. He directly controls all government schools and the Curriculum Development Institute.
The main responsibilities of the Education Department relate to planning and providing public sector school places; allocating places to pupils entering the primary, junior secondary, senior secondary and sixth form levels; developing curricula, including the Target Oriented Curriculum and related assessments; monitoring teaching standards; and
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