XN000022-1992-02-25 — Page 2

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1992

DRAFT EXPENDITURE PROPOSALS FOR 1992-93

ON EDUCATIONAL AND MANPOWER SERVICES

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THE GOVERNMENT PLANS TO SPEND $18,677 MILLION IN RECURRENT EXPENDITURE ON EDUCATIONAL AND MANPOWER SERVICES IN 1992-93.

EXCLUDING 1992-93 SALARY INCREASE WHICH IS YET TO BE CONSIDERED BY THE GOVERNMENT, THIS REPRESENTS AN INCREASE OF $932 MILLION OR 5.25 PER CENT OVER THE REVISED ESTIMATES IN 1991-92.

IN ADDITION, $3,132 MILLION WILL BE PROVIDED FOR CAPITAL WORKS EXPENDITURE FOR 1992-93. REPRESENTING AN INCREASE OF 35 PER CENT OVER THE REVISED EXPENDITURE FOR CAPITAL WORKS PROJECT 1991-92.

THE

SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER (SEM), MR JOHN

CHAN, TODAY (TUESDAY) OUTLINED THE DRAFT EXPENDITURE PROPOSALS FOR 1992-93 IN FOUR MAJOR PROGRAMME AREAS UNDER HIS CONTROL: TERTIARY EDUCATION, SCHOOLS EDUCATION, EMPLOYMENT AND MANPOWER DEVELOPMENT.

TERTIARY EDUCATION

A TOTAL OF $5,214 MILLION HAS BEEN SOUGHT UNDER THE GENERAL REVENUE ACCOUNT FOR 1992-93, REPRESENTING AN INCREASE OF 18.5 PER CENT OVER THE REVISED ESTIMATES FOR 1991-92.

THE INCREASE IS DUE MAINLY TO THE INCREASE IN STUDENT NUMBERS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE EXPANSION PROGRAMME.

OF THE AMOUNT SOUGHT FOR, OVER 99 PER CENT IS DISBURSED THROUGH SUBVENTION TO INDIVIDUAL INSTITUTIONS, ON THE ADVICE OF THE UNIVERSITY AND POLYTECHNIC GRANTS COMMITTEE (UPGC),

IN ADDITION, $2,013 MILLION WILL BE PROVIDED IN 1992-93 FOR CAPITAL WORKS EXPENDITURE. THIS REPRESENTS AN INCREASE OF 36 PER CENT OVER REVISED EXPENDITURE FOR 1991-92.

MR CHAN EXPLAINED: "THE CURRENT FOCUS FOR TERTIARY EDUCATION IS ΤΟ PROVIDE 15,000 FIRST-YEAR-FIRST-DEGREE PLACES (FYFD)

BY 1994-95.

"FYFD PLACES AT UPGC-FUNDED INSTITUTIONS WILL INCREASE FROM 10,570 THIS YEAR ΤΟ 12,431 IN 1992 WHILE THE TOTAL FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT (FTE) STUDENTS WILL INCREASE FROM 46,504 TO 50,430.

THE EXPANSION IS BEING ACHIEVED THROUGH GENERAL

AT EXPANSION THE TWO ESTABLISHED UNIVERSITIES AND BAPTIST COLLEGE, OPENING THE NEW HONG KONG UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, UPGRADING LINGNAN COLLEGE AND ALLOWING THE POLYTECHNICS TO EXPAND THEIR PROGRAMMES."

DEGREE

/SCHOOLS EDUCATION