ENG-2010 — Page 198

152 | Education

Hong Kong Teachers' Centre

The Hong Kong Teachers' Centre organises conferences, seminars, workshops and experience-sharing sessions to promote continuing professional development for teachers. Physical and mental health activities are also arranged to help teachers maintain a work-life balance.

Council on Professional Conduct in Education

The Council on Professional Conduct in Education (CPC) is a non-statutory body advising the Government on measures to promote professional conduct in education and on alleged misconduct cases involving educators that are lodged with the CPC.

Student Finance

To ensure no student is deprived of education due to lack of means, the Student Financial Assistance Agency (SFAA) provides means-tested and non-means- tested financial assistance to students at various study levels. The SFAA also administers a number of privately-funded scholarship schemes.

Financial Assistance for Pre-primary Education

Eligible children at pre-primary level may apply for non-means-tested fee subsidy under the Pre-primary Education Voucher Scheme, and means-tested fee remission under the Kindergarten and Child Care Centre Fee Remission Scheme. In the 2009- 10 school year, fee subsidies and remissions totalling $1.4 billion and $271.7 million were granted to 118 974 and 31 662 students respectively.

Financial Assistance for Primary and Secondary Education

At the primary and secondary levels, means-tested assistance covers textbook grants and travel subsidies. In the 2009-10 school year, $433.7 million was disbursed to 281 899 students for purchasing textbooks and $242.7 million to 192 478 students as travel subsidies. In addition, examination fees totalling $15.6 million were waived for 11 835 students taking public examinations.

Financial Assistance for Post-secondary Education

Means-tested grants and low-interest loans are offered to eligible full-time students pursuing eligible courses

eligible courses at University Grants Committee-funded or publicly-funded institutions. In the 2009-10 school year, 28 406 students received $829.9 million of grants and $281.9 million of loans.

Eligible students pursuing locally-accredited, self-financing full-time post- secondary programmes are also provided with means-tested grants and low-interest loans. In the 2009-10 school year, $706.9 million in grants and $231.9 million in loans were provided to 20 497 students.

Non-means-tested loans operating on a no-gain-no-loss and full-cost-recovery basis are available to students pursuing eligible publicly-funded or self-financing post-secondary programmes, and eligible professional or continuing education. courses. In the 2009-10 school year, 26 670 people received non-means-tested loans amounting to $1.22 billion.