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Government awaits UGC's advice on tertiary education cost
The Government is awaiting the University Grants Committee's (UGC) recommendations on tertiary education cost, the Secretary for Education and Manpower, Mr Joseph W P Wong, said today (Tuesday).
Mr Wong was responding to recent media speculation on the possible reduction in tertiary education funding.
He pointed out that the development of tertiary education had now entered a period of consolidation, given that the target of providing 18 per cent of students with first-year first-degree places was achieved in 1994-95.
"Our focus should now be to find ways to improve the quality of our graduates while at the same time to contain and reduce the unit cost," he said.
Mr Wong also clarified that there was no question of the Government relying on reducing funding for tertiary education as the only means of improving basic education.
"My top priority this year is to bid for more resources for basic education and to upgrade the quality of education as a whole," he said.
Mr Wong said the UGC was currently conducting a review of the salary scales of the heads of its funded institutions.
Explaining the reason for the review, Mr Wong said since November 1994 the then HK Polytechnic, the City Polytechnic and the Hong Kong Baptist College had been upgraded to university status.
"Following the upgrading of these institutions, it was felt that the salary scales of the heads of the seven UGC-funded institutions should be reviewed in terms of their relativities and in relation to comparable grades in the civil service," he said.
Mr Wong added that the Government was awaiting the UGC's recommendations on the matter.
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