TNAG-2765-FCO40-3982-UK-Hong-Kong-Scholarship-Scheme-donation-to-the-UK-Governme-1993 — Page 168

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By Fax and post

I DECATION AND

WER BRANCHE

GOVERNMEN! SECRETARIAT.

SS P. ENJTage do

•

Connquent in the

Hong Kong

R

Pour Ref:

L/M to EMB CR 26/2041/66

HKB 285/1

RECEIVED IN KEGISTRY

13 APR 1003

DESK OFFICER

PAUT

Mr Peter Ricketts

Hong Kong Department

Foreign and Commonwealth CEENEX

London SW1A 2AH

United Kingdom

Dear Pets.

REGISTRY

Marce

23 March 1993

My Rickett,

We

are currently

Laughing the case

содимо for a 199415 phase- out. I a Hach a copy of

a minute to CRO (23.

No. pin as yet.

Mi

The there kille

Ahreedy

Review of the Joint Funding Scheme (JFS) for Hong Kong Students in the United Kingdom

fee IL

каже

fax. Prowess report g!

When in May 1990 the Hong Kong Government increased its contribution to the Joint Funding Scheme (JFS) to meet the enhanced contribution from the United Kingdom Government, the Administration was directed to conduct a review of the scheme in 1992-93.

That review has recently been completed. Proposals on the future of the JFS were considered and approved by the Executive Council on 23 February 1993. The Council concluded that -

2.

(a) the Joint Funding Scheme should be phased out by

1996-97 starting from 1994-95;

(b)

(c)

the phasing out should ensure that Hong Kong students studying in the UK in the 1993-94 academic year, including those who are currently benefiting from the scheme, would continue to be eligible to apply for the awards until the completion of their existing diploma or first degree courses; and

HMG should be asked to consider whether, as its contribution to the JFS gradually reduced, the savings realised might be diverted to funding improvements in the UK/HK Scholarship Scheme.

By way of background, the Executive Council took the view that the JFS had fulfilled an important role in providing high quality educational opportunities for the students covered by the Scheme. It was highly regarded by those who had benefited from it.

At the same time, in view of the changing political status of Hong Kong and the rapid expansion of our tertiary education, the Council acknowledged that it would become increasingly difficult to justify allocating funds from the Hong Kong Government's education budget to sending students overseas.

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