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Education

programmes for students. Learning and teaching resource packs are disseminated to schools. and put on the web. Professional development programmes and teachers networks equip teachers with the necessary knowledge and skills in gifted education. Various territory-wide competitions provide platforms for students to learn from one another and to demonstrate their areas of strength. Outstanding students thus identified are provided with further training and nominated to participate in international competitions.

In 2013, the Hong Kong Academy for Gifted Education extended its existing services from secondary to primary students, covering a wide range of courses, workshops, competitions, conferences, mentoring and online learning. Professional development programmes were offered to teachers through thematic courses, outreach services, and the Professional Development Framework co-organised with the EDB. Services for parents of gifted children included the Parent Education Programme, outreach and assessment and consultation.

Post-secondary Education

Hong Kong has 17 local degree-awarding post-secondary education institutions, eight of which are funded by the public through the University Grants Committee (UGC). The other nine are the publicly-funded Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA) and the self-financing Open University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Shue Yan University, Chu Hai College of Higher Education, Hang Seng Management College, Tung Wah College, Caritas Institute of Higher Education, Centennial College and the Vocational Training Council's (VTC) Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong. Together with providers offering locally-accredited sub-degree programmes, there are around 30 post-secondary institutions in Hong Kong.

In the 2013-14 academic year, around 15,160 publicly-funded first-year-first-degree intake places were provided by the UGC-funded institutions and the HKAPA and about 7,000 places in the self-financing undergraduate programmes. In addition, the UGC-funded institutions and the self-financing degree-awarding institutions provided around 3,000 senior year undergraduate places and 7,600 top-up degree places respectively for graduates of sub-degree programmes and students with other qualifications. At the sub-degree level, there were around 30,100 and 9,800 intake places respectively for self-financing and publicly-funded sub-degree programmes for the 2013-14 academic year.

Vocational Education

The VTC is a statutory body established to provide a comprehensive system of vocational education and training for school leavers and adult learners. It provided some 250,000 full-time and part-time places during the 2013-14 academic year.

The VTC provides a range of quality-assured, internationally recognised full-time and part-time courses from post-secondary 3 up to degree level, covering a wide range of study areas including applied science, design, engineering, hospitality, child education and community services, business and information technology. Courses are offered through the VTC's 13 member institutions, such as the Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong, Institute of Professional Education and Knowledge, School for Higher and Professional Education, Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education, Hong Kong Design Institute,

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