ENG-2014 — Page 173

7

Education

Non-local Higher and Professional Education (Regulation) Ordinance

The Non-local Higher and Professional Education (Regulation) Ordinance regulates non-local courses conducted in Hong Kong through a system of registration to ensure that the standard of the courses and qualifications are comparable to those of their home countries. It protects Hong Kong consumers by guarding against the marketing of sub-standard courses. As at September 2014, 1,186 non-local courses were registered or exempted from registration under the ordinance.

Support Provided to Schools and Students

Quality Education Fund

Up to the end of August 2014, the Quality Education Fund had approved around $4.068 billion for some 8,440 projects to promote high quality education and schemes that recognise excellence of teachers.

Support Programmes for Needy Students

In the 2014-15 school year, 884 schools and 175 non-governmental organisations received subsidies under the School-based After-school Learning and Support Programmes for organising activities to help some 200,000 needy students improve their learning effectiveness, broaden their learning experience outside the classroom and raise their understanding of the community and sense of belonging.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club Life-wide Learning Fund, established by the EDB and the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, allocated about $86.4 million (including the Award Scheme allocation of $21.38 million) to 945 participating schools during the 2013-14 school year, providing financial aid to over 200,000 students in need from Primary 1 to Secondary 6 to participate in activities organised or recognised by schools for students' whole-person development.

Management of Schools

School education services are regulated by the Education Ordinance. Schools must comply with its provisions including its subsidiary legislation relating to areas such as registration of schools, teachers and managers, health and safety requirements, fees and charges, and teacher qualifications.

School-based Management

Aided schools are devolved with considerable autonomy and funding flexibility to implement school-based management. In return, they have to be more transparent and accountable in their operation and include all key stakeholders in their governance structure, including school sponsoring body representatives, the principal and elected teacher, parent and alumni representatives and independent members.

School Development and Accountability

The School Development and Accountability Framework seeks to foster sustained school development through school self-evaluation (complemented by the external school review) to

129