12
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 1988
ADVISORY SERVICE FOR OVERSEAS STUDY
STUDENTS REQUIRING INFORMATION FOR STUDY OVERSEAS OR WHO DOUBT THE AUTHENTICITY OF CLAIMS MADE BY OVERSEAS INSTITUTIONS CAN SEEK FREE ADVISORY SERVICE FROM THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT, THE SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER, THE HON RON BRIDGE, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON RICHARD LAI, MR BRIDGE SAID THAT A TOTAL OF MORE THAN 26,000 SUCH ENQUIRIES WERE RECIEVED FROM STUDENTS AND PARENTS OVER THE PAST YEAR BY THE OVERSEAS STUDENTS AND SCHOLARSHIPS SECTION OF THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT.
"ACCORDING TO AVAILABLE STATISTICS, A TOTAL OF 36,320 HONG KONG STUDENTS WERE STUDYING IN THE FOUR MAJOR ENGLISH-SPEAKING COUNTRIES OF THE UNITED KINGDOM, THE U.S.A., CANADA AND AUSTRALIA IN THE ACADEMIC YEAR 1986/87.
"THE NUMBERS STUDYING IN THE UNITED KINGDOM WERE 11,299, THE U.S.A. 9.717. CANADA 12,974 AND AUSTRALIA 2,330.
"A TOTAL OF 10,716 STUDENT VISAS WERE ISSUED IN 1986/87 TO STUDENTS GOING TO THESE FOUR COUNTRIES; 4,254 FOR THE UNITED KINGDOM, 2,245 FOR THE U.S.A, 3,405 FOR CANADA AND 812 FOR AUSTRALIA", HE SAID.
IN VIEW OF THE CONSIDERABLE NUMBER OF STUDENTS PURSUING EDUCATIONAL COURSES ABROAD, THE OVERSEAS STUDENTS AND SCHOLARSHIPS SECTION HAS A LARGE COLLECTION OF REFERENCE MATERIALS ON EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, THE COMMONWEALTH AND THE UNITED STATES, MR BRIDGE ADDED.
"SCHOOLS ARE REGULARLY ADVISED OF THE SERVICES AVAILABLE AT THE OVERSEAS STUDENTS AND SCHOLARSHIPS SECTION BY CIRCULAR.
·
"IN ADDITION, GROUP SESSIONS AND SEMINARS ON OVERSEAS EDUCATION ARE ALSO ORGANISED THROUGH THE NETWORK OF THE HONG KONG ASSOCIATION OF CAREERS MASTERS AND GUIDANCE MASTERS AND ARRANGEMENTS WITH INDIVIDUAL SCHOOLS, MR BRIDGE SAID.
++
/13