ENG-1976 — Page 102

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EDUCATION

It consists of three faculties-arts, social sciences and commerce-with a total of eight departments. The college offers a day course as well as an evening course with a total enrolment of about 700.

A college can be registered under the Post-Secondary Colleges Ordinance only when the Director of Education is satisfied with its academic standards, governing body, constitution, finances, educational facilities, the number and qualifications of staff, and the number and conditions of admission of students. At present the Hong Kong Baptist College and the Hong Kong Shue Yan College are the only institutions registered under this ordinance.

Higher Education

Public funds are made available for grants and interest-free loans to needy students at the University of Hong Kong and the Chinese University of Hong Kong under a scheme introduced by the government in 1969-70. The administration of grants totalling $6.3 million and loans totalling $19.3 million for 1976-7 is in the hands of a joint universities' committee. The scheme has resulted in a substantial increase in the amount of public funds available for student financing and it aims to ensure that students offered places in either of the two universities shall not be prevented, through lack of means, from taking the places offered.

As from the 1976-7 academic year, the student finance scheme was extended to cover Hong Kong Polytechnic students as well. For the first year, sums of $0.7 million for grants and $11.9 million for loans were provided by the government for Polytechnic students. The administration of grants and loans is by the Polytechnic Committee on Student Finance.

Both universities and the Polytechnic have some financial resources of their own, but are largely financed by the government. Because of the importance of university and polytechnic development and the sums of public money involved, the government needs impartial and expert advice both on the assessment of the amount of grant required to sustain any level of university and polytechnic activity, and on developments necessary to the community's requirements for graduates. The government also needs advice on the allocation of funds among the universities and the Polytechnic. To carry out these functions there is a Univeristy and Polytechnic Grants Committee appointed by the Governor.

The University of Hong Kong

The University of Hong Kong was established in 1911 with a land grant from the government and endowments which have since been increased. Substantial government grants are also made towards the university's annual recurrent and non- recurrent expenditure.

Numbers of undergraduate places in the various faculties in 1976-7 were: arts, 849; science, 516; medicine, 779; engineering and architecture, 883; and social sciences and law, 733. Of these, a total of 1,150 places were available for first-year students.