XN000022-1992-11-12 — Page 18

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 1992

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REVISED STUDENT NUMBER TARGETS AND RECURRENT GRANTS FOR TERTIARY EDUCATION

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THE SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER, MR JOHN CHAN, AND THE SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE UNIVERSITY AND POLYTECHNIC GRANTS COMMITTEE (UPGC), MR NIGEL FRENCH, BRIEFED MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL EDUCATION PANEL THIS (THURSDAY) MORNING ON THE REVISED STUDENT NUMBER TARGETS AND RECURRENT GRANTS FOR THE UPGC-FUNDED INSTITUTIONS IN THE 1992-95 TRIENNIUM.

IN A JOINT

STATEMENT ISSUED BY THE EDUCATION AND MANPOWER BRANCH AND THE UPGC, MR CHAN SAID IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL QUESTION ON OCTOBER 28 THIS YEAR, HE HAD ANNOUNCED THAT THE UPGC PROPOSED TO RETURN $509 MILLION FROM THE $18,200 MILLION APPROVED RECURRENT FUNDING FOR THE UPGC-FUNDED SECTOR DURING THE 1992-95 TRIENNIUM.

THE UPGC'S RECOMMENDATIONS IN RESPECT OF THE REDUCED FUNDING REQUIREMENTS AND REVISED STUDENT NUMBER TARGETS FOR THE SEVEN UPGC- FUNDED INSTITUTIONS WERE SUBMITTED TO THE GOVERNMENT ON OCTOBER 22.

THE COMMITTEE WAS RESPONDING ΤΟ A REQUEST, MADE BY THE GOVERNMENT IN MARCH THIS YEAR, TO ADVISE ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A REVISED PLANNING TARGET OF 14,500 FIRST-YEAR, FIRST-DEGREE (FYFD) PLACES (REDUCED FROM 15,000) IN 1994-95.

"THE GOVERNMENT HAS ACCEPTED THE UPGC'S RECOMMENDATIONS IN FULL AND THE 'SAVINGS' HAVE BEEN TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT IN THE RESOURCE ALLOCATION EXERCISE THIS YEAR, MR CHAN SAID.

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HE EXPLAINED THAT THE GOVERNMENT'S CURRENT POLICY ON TERTIARY EDUCATION, WHICH WAS AGREED IN 1989, WAS TO PROVIDE FYFD PLACES FOR AT LEAST 18 PER CENT OF THE MEAN OF THE RELEVANT AGE GROUP (AGED 17-20) IN 1994-95.

ON THE BASIS OF THE POPULATION PROJECTIONS AVAILABLE AT THAT TIME, A PLANNING TARGET OF 15,000 FYFD PLACES WAS SET FOR 1994-95.

"UPDATED DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION, DERIVED FROM THE 1991 CENSUS, INDICATED THAT PREVIOUS PROJECTIONS OF THE POPULATION OF THE RELEVANT AGE GROUP NEEDED TO BE REVISED DOWNWARD, MR CHAN NOTED.

14,500.

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"AS A RESULT, THE FYFD TARGET FOR 1994-95 COULD BE REDUCED

ΤΟ

MR CHAN STRESSED THAT THE REVISED TARGET OF 14,500 FYFD PLACES WOULD LEAD TO A SMOOTHER EXPANSION PROGRAMME, WHILE STILL ACHIEVING THE POLICY AIM OF PROVIDING TERTIARY EDUCATION PLACES FOR AT LEAST 18 PER CENT OF THE RELEVANT AGE GROUP.

ELABORATING ON THE UPGC'S RECOMMENDATIONS, MR FRENCH SAID THE REVISED GROWTH SCENARIO PROVIDED FOR A GRADUAL BUILD-UP OF FYFD STUDENT NUMBERS AT THE SEVEN UPGC-FUNDED INSTITUTIONS AT AN ANNUAL GROWTH RATE OF 13 PER CENT IN THE YEARS 1992-93 TO 1994-95.

/HE SAID