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Education

Scholarships

Hong Kong Scholarship for Excellence Scheme

In November 2014, the government launched the Hong Kong Scholarship for Excellence Scheme to support local students in pursuing undergraduate or postgraduate studies outside Hong Kong. All awardees will receive a non-means-tested scholarship to cover their tuition fees, subject to a ceiling of $250,000 per annum. Financially less well-off students may also apply for the means-tested bursary, subject to a ceiling of $200,000 per annum. The scheme will start in the 2015-16 academic year and benefit up to 100 students in each year's intake. Its effectiveness will be reviewed after three years.

Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government Scholarship Fund and Self-financing Post-secondary Education Fund

The $2.27 billion Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government Scholarship Fund awards scholarships on the basis of merit to outstanding local and non-local students studying in full-time publicly-funded programmes at sub-degree and degree level or above in the eight. UGC-funded institutions, the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts and the Vocational Training Council. In the self-financing post-secondary education sector, a $3.52 billion Self- financing Post-secondary Education Fund provides scholarships and awards to outstanding students pursuing full-time locally-accredited self-financing sub-degree or undergraduate programmes, and supports worthwhile initiatives and schemes to enhance and assure the quality of self-financing post-secondary education.

In the 2013-14 academic year, 7,836 scholarships and awards were distributed by the two funds.

Scholarship for Prospective English Teachers

The government's Scholarship for Prospective English Teachers aims to attract persons proficient in English to pursue local bachelor degree programmes and/or teacher training programmes majoring in English or a relevant subject which will qualify them to become English teachers on graduation.

Community Participation in Education

Home-School Co-operation

The Committee on Home-School Co-operation encourages the establishment of Parent- Teacher Associations (PTAs). As at 2014, about 1,400 PTAs had been established. The EDB funded about 3,150 school-based and district-based home-school co-operation activities in the 2013- 14 school year.

Business-School Partnership

The EDB's Business-School Partnership Programme takes students out of the classroom to gain a wider perspective of society. In the 2013-14 school year, more than 500 activities were organised which benefited over 227,000 students.

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