ENG-2010 — Page 187

Education 141

to 4 000 per annum by phases starting from the 2012-13 school year. This initiative will help foster a flexible, diversified and multiple-entry, multiple-exit education framework with greater inter-flow between the self-financing and publicly-funded sectors, and between the sub-degree and degree sectors. In addition, the Government aims to increase the UGC-funded first-year first-degree places from 14 620 to 15 000 per cohort starting from the 2012-13 school year.

The UGC has conducted another Higher Education Review and submitted to the Government its report 'Aspirations for the Higher Education System in Hong Kong'. The report reflects a wide range of issues pertinent to the post-secondary education sector, and offers recommendations on appropriate strategies for developing Hong Kong's post-secondary education. The Government is studying the recommendations and will consult stakeholders in the post-secondary education sector.

To support the long-term development of the self-financing sector, the Government will set up a $2.5 billion Self-financing Post-secondary Education Fund to provide scholarships and enhance quality of teaching and learning to provide students with more quality articulation opportunities and choices.

Upon full implementation of the above new initiatives, it is estimated that over 30 per cent of young people in the relevant age group will have opportunity to study publicly-funded or self-financing degree programmes. Including sub-degree places, young people attending local post-secondary programmes will account for about 65 per cent of the age group.

Enriching the Provision of Moral and National Education in Schools

One of the aims of education in schools is to foster among the students a sense of responsibility towards the family, the community, the country and the world. The major objective of the provision of Moral and National Education in schools is to help students understand their national identity and be committed to contributing to the nation and society.

The Government aims to deepen national education by aligning experiential learning with curriculum objectives and content. The EDB will strengthen the elements on China in various key learning areas under the primary and secondary curricula. Exchange activities with the Mainland for students will become part of the national education programme.

Promoting national education can be done through different means and channels, such as classroom teaching, teacher education, extra-curricular activities and exchanges with young people from the Mainland. The EDB aims to subsidise every primary and secondary school student in joining at least one Mainland exchange programme. With the support of voluntary groups, the EDB will continue to administer the national education platform 'Passing on the Torch' and provide some 4 000 additional places a year starting from the 2011-12 school year. Additional resources will be provided for teachers to participate in relevant professional study courses in the Mainland.