82.
Student loan scheme for the Open Learning Institute
Following is a question by Dr the Hon Samuel Wong Ping-wai and a written reply by the Secretary for Education and Manpower, Mr Michael Leung, in the Legislative Council today (Wednesday):
Question:
The Open Learning Institute (OLI) ceased receiving subvention from the Government at the start of the 1993-94 fiscal year and has become self-financing since then. Many students of the OLI are full-time workers who contribute to the well-being of the territory and are also prepared to sacrifice their spare time to study. The high course fees however discourage some of these workers from pursuing courses with the OLI. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council whether it will consider introducing a Student Finance Scheme for students of the OLI similar to that provided to students of local universities, so as to reduce the financial burden of workers pursuing courses with the OLI; if not, why not?
Reply:
Mr President,
The Open Learning Institute was established to cater for the needs of people for self-enrichment and enhancement on a self-financing basis. As most of the students of the OLI are working adults who have decided to devote their time and money to further their studies on a part-time basis, it is not unreasonable to require them to meet the costs of their continuing education. The principle of self-financing ensures that the OLI will remain sensitive to the changing nature and level of demand for continuing education by working adults in Hong Kong.
The OLI has been self-financing since 1993/94. Despite several fee increases to cover inflation and rising real costs of meeting required academic standards, its attraction to people seeking opportunities for continuing higher education in Hong Kong has not been adversely affected. This is reflected in the continuous increase in the student population of the OLI in recent years as follows -