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EDUCATION

to proceed to a higher award. The Hong Kong Shue Yan College declined the offer of government financial assistance under the terms of the White Paper and opted to retain its existing structure of four-year courses.

A student loan scheme is available for eligible students at the approved post-secondary colleges. In addition, a student grant scheme will be introduced for eligible students at the Hong Kong Baptist College and Lingnan College in September, 1980.

A number of private day and evening schools offer post-secondary courses of varying standards. They are registered under the Education Ordinance. None of these schools receives aid from the government.

Higher Education

Grants and interest-free loans for some students at the University of Hong Kong and the Chinese University of Hong Kong are provided from public funds under a government scheme. The scheme, administered by the Joint Universities' Committee on Student Finance, ensures that lack of means does not prevent students from taking up places in either of the two universities. The amount of public funds available for student financing has increased substantially over the years. For the 1979-80 academic year, $8.5 million in grants and $26 million in interest-free loans have been provided.

The student financing scheme was extended to Hong Kong Polytechnic students in 1976-7. Some $1.4 million in grants and $16 million in loans were provided by the government for polytechnic students in 1979-80. The grants and loans are administered 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 attached to developing university and polytechnic facilities - and the sums of public money involved - the govern- ment relies on the University and Polytechnic Grants Committee, appointed by the Governor, to provide impartial and expert advice on the amount of finance required to develop or sustain any level of higher education activity. The committee also advises the government on the allocation of funds among the universities and the polytechnic.

Hong Kong Polytechnic

The Hong Kong Polytechnic developed from the former Hong Kong Technical College and was formally established in 1972. The bulk of the polytechnic's finances comes from the University and Polytechnic Grants Committee.

The establishment of a new department of institutional management and catering studies in early 1979 means the polytechnic has 17 teaching departments grouped under three divisions. The divisions are: the Division of Applied Science (comprising the depart- ments of applied science, building and surveying, mathematical studies, nautical studies and the school of social work); the Division of Commerce and Design (comprising the departments of accountancy, business and management studies, computing studies, design, institutional management and catering studies, and languages); and the Division of Engineering (comprising the departments of civil and structural engineering, electrical engineering, electronic engineering, industrial centre, mechanical and marine engineer- ing, and production and industrial engineering). In addition there are two institutes, namely, the Institute of Medical and Health Care and the Institute of Textiles and Clothing.

During 1979, some of the polytechnic diploma and certificate programmes were trans- ferred to the technical institutes run by the Education Department. This was in accordance

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