XN000022-1992-05-05 — Page 4

en

TUESDAY, MAY 5, 1992

THE GROUP WAS ALSO CONCERNED THAT THE INSTITUTIONS MIGHT HAVE ENROL STUDENTS WHO DID NOT MEET THEIR MINIMUM ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS.

TO

MR CHAN TOLD THE GROUP THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAD REDUCED THE TARGET OF 15,000 FYFD PLACES FOR 1994-95 TO

TO 14,500, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT MORE RECENT DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION WHICH INDICATED A DOWNWARD ADJUSTMENT OF THE PROJECTED NUMBERS OF YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE RELEVANT AGE GROUP.

THIS REVISED TARGET FOR 1994-95 WILL LEAD TO A SMOOTHER EXPANSION PROGRAMME WHILE STILL ACHIEVING THE AIM OF PROVIDING FYFD PLACES FOR AT LEAST 18 PER CENT OF THE RELEVANT AGE GROUP, HE ADDED.

MR CHAN SAID: "THE UPGC AND THE SEVEN INSTITUTIONS IT FUNDS HAVE AGREED TO ADOPT THE REVISED TARGET OF 14,500 FYFD PLACES FOR 1994-95.

"THEY HAVE ALSO CONFIRMED THEIR AGREEMENT TO RETURN TO THE GOVERNMENT A TOTAL OF $300 MILLION FROM THE $18,200 MILLION APPROVED RECURRENT FUNDING FOR THE UPGC-FUNDED SECTOR FOR THE 1992-95 TRIENNIUM.

"NOW THAT THE FYFD TARGET HAS BEEN BROUGHT DOWN TO 14,500 BY · 1994-95, THE ORIGINAL TARGET FOR FIRST DEGREE STUDENTS FOR THE 1992-95 TRIENNIUM WILL HAVE TO BE REDUCED CORRESPONDINGLY.

"THE UPGC HAS WORKED OUT A GROWTH SCENARIO TO SERVE AS A BASIS THE INSTITUTIONS IN PREPARATION OF THEIR REVISED ACADEMIC PROPOSALS AND COST ESTIMATES."

FOR

ACCORDING TO THE UPGC'S GROWTH SCENARIO, THE SEVEN INSTITUTIONS WILL HAVE A TOTAL OF ABOUT 31,000 FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT STUDENTS IN THEIR FIRST DEGREE PROGRAMMES IN 1992-93.

ON THIS BASIS, IT IS ESTIMATED THAT, EXCLUDING THE FORM 6 LEAVERS GOING TO THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG AND THOSE ON CONVERSION COURSES AT THE POLYTECHNICS, FOR 1992-93 THE TOTAL NUMBER OF FYFD PLACES WILL BE IN THE REGION OF 11,000.

"THERE SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT QUALIFIED MATRICULANTS WITH AT LEAST TWO A-LEVEL PASSES AND A PASS IN USE OF ENGLISH TO FILL THESE FYFD PLACES, THE SECRETARY STRESSED.

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THE ACTION GROUP IS IN FULL SUPPORT OF THE EXPANSION OF TERTIARY EXPANSION, BUT IT HOPES THE EXPANSION WILL NOT BE IMPLEMENTED AT THE EXPENSE OF THE QUALITY OF TERTIARY EDUCATION.

MR CHAN REASSURED THAT THE GOVERNMENT IS AIMING TO EXPAND THE PROVISION OF HIGHER EDUCATION WHILE MAINTAINING THE QUALITY, AND ΤΟ UPGRADE THE EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS. THE UPGC SHARES THE SAME VIEW.

HE SAID: "MEMBERS OF THE UPGC RECOGNISE THAT BOTH THE COMMITTEE AND THE TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS WILL NEED ΤΟ BE ABLE TO RESPOND POSITIVELY TO QUERIES FROM THE GOVERNMERNT AND THE PUBLIC ON THE QUALITY AS WELL AS VALUE FOR MONEY FOR TERTIARY EDUCATION, PARTICULARLY DURING A PERIOD OF EXPANSION.

/"THE UPGC