ENG-2016 — Page 165

Chapter 8

Education

In an increasingly competitive and connected world, education is of vital importance. Reflecting that, total government expenditure on education has increased from $51.9 billion in 2006-07 to $84 billion in 2016-17 estimates, or 17.3 per cent of total government spending.

Education is compulsory for every child in Hong Kong from the age of six. To meet the different needs of students, there are various types of schools. The government provides 12 years' free primary and secondary education to all students in public-sector schools, which form the majority in the school system. These consist of government schools operated directly by the government and aided schools that are generally run by religious or charitable organisations, fully subvented by the government and managed by their own incorporated management committee or school management committee. In addition, there are Direct Subsidy Scheme (DSS) schools, which can charge school fees, receive government subvention based on enrolment and enjoy greater flexibility, and self-financed private schools providing alternatives to parents.

Hong Kong's 52 international schools, including 15 operated by the English Schools Foundation, provide about 42,200 places as of September 2016, catering mainly to the demand of overseas families living in Hong Kong for work and investment. Generally operated on a self-financing basis, these schools offer different non-local curricula, including those of the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Singapore, South Korea and the United States, as well as the International Baccalaureate programme.

Both publicly funded and self-financing post-secondary programmes are available at sub-degree, undergraduate and higher levels. The publicly funded programmes are provided by the eight University Grants Committee (UGC)-funded universities, the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA) and the Vocational Training Council (VTC). Diverse self-financing post-secondary programmes are provided by post-secondary institutions, including the publicly funded institutions and their self-financing arms, with a choice of study pathways and multiple entry and exit points.

Government's Role in Education

The Secretary for Education, who heads the Education Bureau, formulates, develops and reviews educational policies, secures funds from the government budget, and oversees the

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