Education | 173
Conducting a study on the development of a credit accumulation and transfer system to complement the QF.
Overall Education Landscape
Expenditure on Education
In the 2004-05 financial year, education remains the largest spending area of the Government. The approved recurrent government expenditure and total government expenditure on education amounted to $49.2 billion and $59.5 billion respectively. They correspondingly represent 24.2 per cent and 23 per cent of the recurrent government expenditure and the total government expenditure.
Education Commission
The Education Commission (EC) is responsible for advising the Government on the overall educational objectives and policies, and the priorities for implementation as well as coordinating the work of all other major education-related advisory bodies on the planning and development of education at all levels. The EC also advises the Government on implementation issues with important policy implications to ensure better synergy between policy formulation and implementation.
Early Childhood Education
Kindergarten classes are for children aged three to six. By 2004-05, all kindergartens are required to employ 100 per cent qualified kindergarten teachers of the required teaching staff establishment calculated on the teacher to pupil ratio of 1:15. They are encouraged to conduct school self-evaluation for continuous advancement, and are selected randomly to undergo quality assurance inspection.
School Education
Free and universal basic education is provided for children aged six to 15 to enjoy six years of primary education plus three years of basic secondary education. Admission to Primary 1 in aided and government schools is through a centralised system, and at the end of Primary 6 all students are provided with secondary school places. Most secondary schools offer three-year basic and two-year senior secondary courses leading to the HKCEE as well as two-year sixth-form matriculation courses leading to the Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination. All Secondary 3 students who are willing and able to continue with their study are given the opportunity to receive subsidised Secondary 4 education or vocational training. About one-third of Secondary 5 leavers may further their studies in subsidised Secondary 6 and 7 school places.
In September 2004, 397 500 children were enrolled in government and aided primary schools and 414 300 children in government and aided secondary schools. Government and aided school places made up about 90 per cent of the school places. To inject more diversity into the school system and give parents wider choices, the Government in 1999 introduced various measures to facilitate the development of Direct Subsidy Scheme (DSS) schools and non-profit-making private independent. schools. These measures include allocating government-built school premises for operation of DSS schools, and allocating land at a nominal premium with a capital