ENG-2016 — Page 178

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Education

Scholarships

Hong Kong Scholarship for Excellence

The Hong Kong Scholarship for Excellence Scheme supports local students pursuing undergraduate or postgraduate studies outside Hong Kong. It is a non-means-tested scholarship to cover up to $250,000 of tuition fees per annum. Financially less well-off students may also apply for a means-tested bursary that provides up to $200,000 per annum. The scheme will benefit three cohorts of students, with up to 100 students per cohort, starting from 2015-16. As at November 2016, scholarships had been offered to 185 students, and scholarships and bursaries totalled $37.6 million.

HKSAR Government Scholarship Fund and Self-financing Post-secondary Education Fund

The $2.27 billion HKSAR Government Scholarship Fund awards scholarships on a merit basis to outstanding locals and non-locals studying in full-time, publicly funded programmes at sub- degree and degree level or above in the eight UGC-funded universities, the HKAPA and the VTC. 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 self-financing post-secondary education.

In 2015-16, the two funds distributed 9,584 scholarships and awards.

Scholarship for Prospective English Teachers

The government's Scholarship for Prospective English Teachers aims to attract people 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.

Management of Schools

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

To implement school-based management, aided schools are devolved with considerable autonomy and funding flexibility. 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.

The School Development and Accountability Framework seeks to foster sustained school development through school self-evaluation, complemented by external school reviews to provide feedback and suggestions for improvement from reviewers with perspectives across schools.

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