XN000022-1987-07-08 — Page 38

-

36

WEDNESDAY, JULY 8, 1987

HE SAID THAT THE UPGC-FUNDED INSTITUTIONS MADE THEIR ACADEMIC PROPOSALS TO THE UPGC ON A TRIENNIAL BASIS AND THE UPGC SCRUTINISED THESE TO ENSURE THAT THEY WERE CONSISTENT WITH THE STUDENT TARGET NUMBERS SET BY THE GOVERNMENT, WITH THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY WITH THE PLANNED EXPANSION OF FACILITIES AT THE INSTITUTIONS.

AND

HE NOTED THAT THE UPGC ALSO ASSESSED THE FUNDING REQUIREMENT OF THESE ACADEMIC PROPOSALS AND SOUGHT TO ENSURE THAT PROGRAMMES WERE PROVIDED IN THE MOST ECONOMICAL MANNER AND THAT DUPLICATION WAS AVOIDED.

HE ALSO POINTED OUT THAT IN THE INTERIM REPORT FOR THE 1985-88 TRIENNIUM, WHICH WAS LAID BEFORE THE COUNCIL ON MARCH 25 THIS YEAR. THE UPGC STATED THAT IT HAD BEEN NOTIFIED BY THE VICE-CHANCELLOR OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG OF THE RECENT PROPOSAL BY THE SENATE OF THE UNIVERSITY TO EXTEND THE CURRICULUM FOR DEGREE COURSES AT THE INSTITUTION FROM THREE YEARS TO FOUR YEARS AND OF THE SUBSEQUENT ESTABLISHMENT OF A SENATE WORKING PARTY TO ASCERTAIN THE ACADEMIC FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS OF THIS PROPOSAL.

AND

WERE SUBMITTED,

IT WENT ON TO SAY THAT WHEN FORMAL PROPOSALS THE COMMITTED WOULD EXAMINE THEM CAREFULLY, WITH DUE REGARD FOR THE IMPACT ON THE UNIVERSITY, ON THE OTHER INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND ON THE COMMUNITY, AND THAT THE COMMITTEE'S CONSIDERATION WOULD INCLUDE THE CONSEQUENCES FOR FUNDING AND FOR STUDENT NUMBER TARGETS IN THE TERTIARY SECTOR, BEARING IN MIND COMPETING DEMANDS FOR LIMITED RESOURCES.

MOREOVER, ACADEMIC PROPOSALS FOR THE 1988-91 TRIENNIUM WERK CONSIDERED IN DEPTH BY THE UPGC EARLIER THIS YEAR AND BLOCK GRANT PROPOSALS BASED ON THEM WERE IN THE FINAL STAGES OF COMPLETION.

"THE EFFECT OF ANY RESTRUCTURING PROPOSALS FROM THE SENATE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG, WHEN AND IF THEY ARE MADE, WOULD THEREFORE NOT BE FELT UNTIL THE ACADEMIC YEAR 1991-1992 AT THE EARLIEST," HE SAID.

IN

"THE UPGC WILL EXAMINE THE PROPOSALS IN DETAIL TO CONSIDER, PARTICULAR, THEIR EFFECTS ON FUNDING AND ON STUDENT NUMBER TARGETS AND WHETHER THESE EFFECTS ARE JUSTIFIED BEFORE ANY SUCH CHANGES TAKE PLACE, HE ADDED.

14

THE

MR PAGLIARI POINTED OUT THAT MEMBERS HAD TO BE AWARE THAT EDUCATION COMMISSION WAS CURRENTLY EMBARKED ON A STUDY OF THE STRUCTURE OF THE TERTIARY SECTOR IN THE LIGHT OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS ON SIXTH-FORM EDUCATION.

COMMISSION'S

"THE BOARD THE UPGC'S

"THE UPGC WILL NO DOUBT TAKE ACCOUNT OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS WHEN COMING TO ITS CONCLUSIONS, HE SAID, OF EDUCATION WILL ALSO REQUIRE TO BE CONSULTED SHOULD CONCLUSIONS HAVE IMPLICATIONS FOR THE STRUCTURE OF SECONDARY EDUCATION."

KONG

HE ADDED THAT THE VERY SERIOUS IMPLICATIONS OF ANY RESTRUCTURING PROPOSAL BY THE SENATE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG FOR STUDENT NUMBERS, FOR TERTIARY EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES IN HONG KONG, FOR THE FINANCING OF EDUCATION AND FOR THE STRUCTURE QUALITY OF SECONDARY EDUCATION, SHOULD NOT BE UNDERESTIMATED.

AND

/37

1