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Education

Education Commission

The Education Commission advises the Government on education objectives and policies and 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 comprises 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 chairpersons of the Advisory Committee on Teacher Education and Qualifications, the Curriculum Development Council, the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority Council, the Quality Education Fund Steering Committee, the Standing Committee on Language Education and Research, the University Grants Committee and the Vocational Training Council. The non-official members come from both education and non- education fields.

Kindergarten Education

To enable all school-aged children to have access to kindergarten education within a non- compulsory private-sector system, the Government introduced the Pre-primary Education Voucher Scheme (PEVS) in the 2007-08 school year.

It provides a non-means-tested direct fee subsidy for eligible children aged above two years and eight months attending eligible local non-profit-making kindergartens. In the 2012-13 school year, about 164,800 children were enrolled in 957 Kindergartens/Kindergarten-cum- Child Care Centres in Hong Kong. About 80 per cent of them receive an annual fee subsidy of $16,800 and 77 per cent of kindergartens benefit under the PEVS. A means-tested fee remission scheme is also available to needy families to ensure that no child will be deprived of kindergarten education because of lack of means. Under the PEVS, quality assurance for kindergartens is enhanced through a self-evaluation system, supported by an external review process.

There has been continuous upgrading of professional qualifications of kindergarten education and all kindergartens are required to employ qualified kindergarten teachers. By the end of the 2011-12 school year, kindergarten teachers were expected to upgrade their professional qualifications to certificate level. With effect from the 2009-10 school year, all newly appointed kindergarten principals must have a bachelor degree in Early Childhood Education.

School Education

Twelve-years' free education has been provided to students in public sector schools with effect from the 2008-09 school year. Admissions to Primary 1 and Secondary 1 in public sector schools are administered through centralised systems. Under the New Senior Secondary (NSS) academic structure, Secondary 3 students will normally continue to receive senior secondary education in the same school or attend full-time vocational training courses run by the Vocational Training Council fully subvented by the Government.

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