Education 153
in 1998 with an allocation of $5 billion to support initiatives that promote quality education and schemes that recognise excellence in schools and teachers. The QEF also identifies good practices, which are adopted while carrying out QEF projects, for schools to use them.
School-based Support Services
The EDB extended its support services to 312 secondary schools, 463 primary schools, 22 special schools and 12 kindergartens and kindergarten-cum-child care centres through the School-based Support Services Office in 2007 after receiving funds from the Education Development Fund (EDF), which was set up in 2004 with an allocation of $550 million to support educational reforms.
Professional support services are also offered to individual schools through the school development officers of the Regional Education Offices (REOs). They worked with school heads and teachers on new learning and teaching methods.
Support Measures for Non-Chinese Speaking Students
The EDB has put in place various support measures to facilitate integration of non-Chinese speaking (NCS) students in the education system and the wider community. The measures include the provision of intensive on-site support to 14 primary and 5 secondary schools designated in the 2007-08 school year to enhance learning and teaching of the Chinese language for NCS students. A supplementary guide is being developed for teaching Chinese language to NCS students. At the same time, tertiary institutions have been invited to run Chinese Language Learning Support Centres to offer further support to NCS students after school and to train Chinese language teachers of the designated schools.
Support Programmes for Needy Students
Under the School-based After-school Learning and Support Programmes, 939 schools and 217 non-governmental organisations received grants in the 2007-08 school year for organising after-school activities to help some 178 000 needy students improve their learning effectiveness, broaden their learning experience outside the classroom and raise their understanding of the community and sense of belonging.
Funding is also available to the needy student members of the Uniformed Groups and the Hong Kong Award for Young People to help them buy uniforms, or join training courses. Some 4 500 students receive help from this fund each year.
Regulatory Framework and Governance Structure
The Government's Role and Organisation
The Secretary for Education, who heads the EDB, formulates, develops and reviews educational policies, secures funds from the government budget, and oversees the implementation of educational programmes with the assistance of the Permanent Secretary for Education.