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These revisions have increased the choices for parents and facilitated the diversified development of schools.

Further Development of Qualifications Framework

The Executive Council approved the establishment of a cross-sectoral Qualifications Framework (QF) in February 2004 to improve the quality of manpower through promoting lifelong learning. The framework provides a seven-level hierarchy against which qualifications can be benchmarked.

The Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications Ordinance, which provides the legislative framework for the cross-sectoral Qualifications Framework, was enacted in May 2007. The Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications (HKCAAVQ) is responsible for ensuring the quality of qualifications under the QF other than those awarded by the self-accrediting institutions.

The HKCAAVQ is also responsible for maintaining the Qualifications Register (QR), a web-based database on qualifications, learning programmes and providers recognised under the QF. A Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) mechanism will be introduced to recognise the skills, knowledge and experience of in-service and experienced workers to facilitate their further training and studies.

So far, 12 Industry Training Advisory Committees (ITACs), which are responsible for developing Specifications of Competency Standards (SCSs) for the relevant industries, have been established. Starting from early 2007, SCS-based skills upgrading courses have also been organised on a pilot basis with an enrolment of over 2 000 learners. More industries will be assisted to set up ITACS in the coming year.

Education Hub

Hong Kong is well positioned to provide quality higher education in the region because of its cosmopolitan outlook, strong links with the Mainland, world-class universities and diversified system of education. It is Hong Kong's stated intention to become a regional education hub. A basket of measures have been introduced to attract quality non-local students to study in Hong Kong, and this process will further internationalise the city's higher education sector and increase local students' exposure to the world. It is also the Government's aim to persuade non-local students to live and work in Hong Kong after they have graduated. This addresses Hong Kong's immediate manpower needs and enhances its competitiveness in the long run.

Major Challenges Ahead

12-year Free Education

The Government has been providing nine-year free and universal basic education through public sector primary and secondary schools. Free education will be extended to include senior secondary education provided by public sector secondary schools starting from the 2008-09 school year. The beneficiaries will include Secondary 4 to Secondary 7 students under the current secondary school structure and Senior

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