XN000022-1991-02-06 — Page 16

15

-

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1991

COST RECOVERY TARGETS FOR TERTIARY EDUCATION REVISED

t

DECIDED

ON THE ADVICE OF THE EXECUTIVE

COUNCIL, HAS

THE GOVERNOR, THAT THE COST RECOVERY TARGETS FOR FEES FOR DEGREE COURSES WOULD BE REVISED BY PHASES TO 18 PER CENT BY THE END OF THE 1995/96 TO 1997/98 TRIENNIUM.

INDICATIVE BE SET AT 1994/95

A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN TODAY (WEDNESDAY) SAID THE FEE LEVEL PER PLACE FOR DEGREE COURSES FOR 1993/94 WILL $17,000 (12.1 PER CENT OF ESTIMATED RECURRENT COSTS) AND FOR AT $24,000 (15.6 PER CENT),

THE

NON-UNIVERSITY

DEGREE

FEES FOR SUB-DEGREE COURSES AT

THEIR EXISTING AWARDING INSTITUTIONS WILL CONTINUE TO BE PEGGED AT LEVEL OF 75 PER CENT OF DEGREE COURSE FEES, THE SPOKESMAN ADDED.

"THE MAJORITY OF STUDENTS CURRENTLY AT

AS REVISION

FEB BY THE BE WILL NOT

AFFECTED ANNOUNCED FOR 1991/92 AND 1992/93 REMAIN UNCHANGED,

THESE INSTITUTIONS

"T

LEVELS PREVIOUSLY

HE SAID.

NOT IMPOSE FINANCE OF INCREASED

THE SPOKESMAN STRESSED THAT THE REVISION WOULD HARDSHIP ON STUDENTS IN FINANCIAL NEED AS THE LOCAL STUDENT SCHEME WOULD BE AUTOMATICALLY ADJUSTED TO TAKE ACCOUNT TUITION FEES.

"IN FACT, AS FEES INCREASE, MORE STUDENTS WILL BE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE THE MAXIMUM GRANT OR LOAN AVAILABLE.

**+

*THE PRINCIPLE THAT NO ONE WILL BE BARRED

OF LACK OF MEANS

TERTIARY EDUCATION BECAUSE MAINTAINED, HE ADDED.

WILL

FROM ACCESS CONTINUB TO

TO

BR

SPOKESMAN EXPLAINING THE RATIONALE BEHIND THE REVISION, THE

A REASONABLE BALANCE WAS PROMPTED BY THE NEED TO STRIKE

OF TERTIARY STUDENTS AND THE COMMUNITY IN SHARING THE COSTS

IT

SAID BETWEEN EDUCATION.

WAS

PREVAILING FOR THE

HE POINTED OUT THAT THE COST RECOVERY TARGET FOR 1990/91 9.4 PER CENT FOR DEGREE COURSES, WHICH CLEARLY FELL BEHIND

TARGET IN THE WORLD. THE COST RECOVERY ELSEWHERE TRENDS FOLLOWING TWO YEARS WOULD ONLY BE INCREASED TO ROUGHLY 10 PER CENT AND 11 PER CENT.

15 PER

CENT

"COST RECOVERY RATES FOR DEGREE COURSES RANGE FROM CENT TO 30 PER CENT IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, 15 PER CENT TO 19 PER IN SINGAPORE, AND 20 PER CENT IN AUSTRALIA.

"TO

WHO

IS

ON THE

INCREASE THE PROPORTION OF COST TO BE MET BY THOSE CAN AFFORD TO PAY IS A PRACTICAL MOVE, PARTICULARLY WHEN HONG KONG EMBARKING ON A MASSIVE PROGRAMME OF UPGRADING AND EXPANSION TERTIARY EDUCATION FRONT," HE SAID.

*

"BY THE TIME THE NEW. RATES BECOME EFFECTIVE,

ENJOYING BERN HAVE WILL SECTOR

ALREADY EDUCATION QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE IMPROVEMENTS IN THE UPGRADING

HE NOTED. STARTING IN 1991-92,'

THE TERTIARY SOME OF THE PROGRAMME

/THE SPOKESMAN