TNAG-0658-FCO40-807-Policy-of-Government-of-Hong-Kong-on-education-1977 — Page 171

C.S. 166

CONFIDENTIAL

機密

- 7

XCC(75)42

(a)

fees for markers, setters and moderators;

(b)

(c)

expenditure on consumable materials; and

expenditure on computer time,

in the form of examination fees. The Hartwell Committee recommended that the Government should continue to subsidise examinations to the present extent and should, in addition, assume responsibility for a similar proportion of the cost of the universities entrance examinations. This view is not entirely shared by the Director of Education and the Secretary for Social Services. Since the purpose of examinations is to test the suitability of the candidates for qualification at various levels of educational attainment and the possession of these qualifications. generally lead either to employment or to enhanced prospects for future employment, it can be forcibly argued that examination fees should cover costs in full. Moreover, most pupils sit for each examination only once in a lifetime, and the existing level of fees tend to encourage participation in a multiplicity of examinations, particularly at sixth form level, despite the fact that the universities charge fees designed to cover costs.

17

In the circumstances, it is proposed that the IEA should be required to become self-financing after, say, five years from the vesting day of the PEA. The reason for reaching this objective after a period of time is that the immediate imposition of fees designed to cover all costs would result in existing fees being multiplied several times and this would certainly divide the public. The Director proposes, therefore, that a measure of subsidy from public funds should be maintained in the form of annually diminishing block grants until the IEA becomes fully self-financing.

18

Existing policy provides for remission of examination fees up to 10% of revenue to assist those candidates who are unable to pay fees. In view of expected progressive increases in fees, it will be necessary to review the suitability and adequacy of these arrangements. The Director of Education and the Secretary for Social Services have reached the tentative conclusion that remission of fees is a measure of social policy and should continue to be administered in future by the Government through the Education Department, and not through the IEA. It will also be necessary to devise a scheme that will have regard to family income, rather than to perpetuate the present fee-oriented arrangement, with the object of ensuring that no pupil is deprived of the opportunity to sit for public examinations through lack of means.

CONFIDENTIAL

機密