ENG-2008 — Page 190

142 Education

themes of a more long-term nature and strategically beneficial to the development of Hong Kong. The Government intends to establish the fund within the first quarter of 2009.

Keeping Learning and Teaching Resources Up-to-date

To enhance students' opportunities for self-learning and interactive learning, the Government is looking into the development of electronic 'learning and teaching' resources. To address public concern on the use and prices of school textbooks, the Government established in October a Working Group on Textbooks and E-learning Resources Development. Information technology experts, parents, school principals, teachers, publishers and others have been invited to look into the issues in detail. The Working Group will draw on international experiences in formulating long-term measures to alleviate the financial burden on parents and to facilitate learning. The Working Group intends to submit its recommendations to the EDB in late 2009.

Overall Education Landscape

Expenditure on Education

For the 2008-09 financial year, the approved estimate for recurrent government expenditure on education was $51.1 billion, equivalent to 23.8 per cent of all recurrent government expenditure, while the total estimate for government spending on education amounted to $77.3 billion, or 24.7 per cent of total government expenditure.

Education Commission

The Education Commission is responsible for advising the Government on education objectives and policies. It co-ordinates the work of all major education- related advisory bodies in the planning and development of education at all levels. The commission also advises the Government on important implementation issues to ensure better co-ordination between policy formulation and implementation.

The commission has a chairman, a vice-chairman who is the Permanent Secretary for Education, seven ex-officio members and a number of non-official members. The seven ex-officio members comprise the chairmen of the Advisory Committee on Teacher Education and Qualifications, the Curriculum Development Council, the HKEAA Council, the Quality Education Fund Steering Committee, the Standing Committee on Language Education and Research, UGC and the VTC. The non-official members come from both education and non-education fields.

Early Childhood Education

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All kindergartens and kindergarten-cum-child care centres are required register under the Education Ordinance. Since 2004, all kindergartens have been required to employ qualified kindergarten teachers. The intention is to upgrade the professional qualifications of all kindergarten teachers and principals to certificate. and bachelor's degree levels respectively by the end of the 2011-12 school year. Meanwhile, the Government has steadily improved the teacher-pupil ratio in kindergartens to 1:15.