ENG-1994 — Page 187

EDUCATION

The Research Grants Council

The council advises the government, through the UGC, on the needs of tertiary institutions for academic research and the funding required, and monitors the use of public research grants. It comprises six local academics, five overseas academics and three local pro- fessionals and industrialists. Grant applications are considered by four specialist panels comprising mostly local academics, covering physical sciences, engineering, biology and medicine, and humanities and social sciences. An independent network of academic referees provides impartial advice.

In 1994-95, the council received a record 703 applications and disbursed $260 million in earmarked grants for academic research.

The council and the British Council again jointly sponsored the United Kingdom-Hong Kong Joint Research Scheme, aimed at strengthening existing links between local and British institutions.

The Vocational Training Council

The VTC advises the government on measures to ensure a comprehensive system of technical education and industrial training suited to the developing needs of Hong Kong. It administers technical colleges, technical institutes, industrial training centres, skills centres for the disabled, and statutory apprenticeship schemes. The council's 23 members include industrialists, academics and government officials.

The government, on the council's advice, has appointed 20 training boards and eight general committees, whose members represent those who employ graduates of VTC training courses. Each training board covers one sector of the economy, such as electronics, textiles and insurance; while general committees are concerned with training relevant to several sectors, such as precision tooling, translation and the training of technologists.

The Hong Kong Examinations Authority

The HKEA is an independent, self-funding statutory body, with members drawn from the teaching profession, tertiary institutions and the business community. It operates two local public examinations the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination (HKCEE) and the Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination (HKALE). It also offers proficiency tests in Putonghua aimed at adults. On behalf of overseas examining bodies, the authority conducts a large number of examinations leading to academic, professional or practical qualifications.

During the year, 120 600 candidates sat for the HKCEE and 26 000 for the HKALE. A total of 17 new subjects at advanced supplementary (AS) level were examined for the first time in 1994. These included two core language subjects: Use of English, and Chinese Language and Culture. AS level subjects provide students with a broader sixth form curriculum. In the HKCEE, the percentage of grade awards at grade E and above for school candidates fell from 62.2 in 1993 to 60.5 in 1994. In the HKALE, the corresponding percentages for A-level subjects fell from 76.1 to 70.9 over the same period. The Education and Manpower Branch and the HKEA began discussing possible causes for this, so that measures for averting further falls could be identified. In the case of the HKALE, it is clear that the explanation was related to the large increase in the number of school candidates

23.5 per cent from 1993.

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