Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
LCQ18: Mechanism for vetting the eligibility of applicants for admission adopted by higher education institutions Question:
It has been reported that a university has recently found that some students have provided fraudulent documentary proof of academic qualifications when applying for admission. There are views that the incident has brought potential impact on Hong Kong’s reputation as an international hub for post-secondary education. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council if it knows:
(1) the specific measures taken by various higher education institutions to ensure the authenticity and validity of documentary proof of academic qualifications submitted by applicants for admission; and
(2) whether various higher education institutions will enhance their mechanisms for vetting the eligibility of applicants for admission to prevent the recurrence of similar incidents, thereby ensuring the quality of their students; if so, of the specific details?
Reply:
President,
Falsifying or furnishing fraudulent academic qualifications is a serious offence liable to a maximum penalty of 14 years’ imprisonment. As fraudulent academic qualifications seriously affect student admission by local higher education institutions and Hong Kong’s hard-earned international reputation, the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and all sectors of the Hong Kong community deeply resent such act and have zero tolerance towards the matter.
Earlier on, a certain university found a very small number of cases where applicants allegedly submitted fraudulent documents when applying for admission. The university reported the incident to the Police and dealt with the incident seriously, indicating its determination of zero tolerance.
Hong Kong’s higher education has unique advantages, including high teaching quality, strong basic research capabilities, extensive international connections, and close co-operation with the Mainland, representing a strong foundation. We particularly treasure the golden reputation of Hong Kong’s higher education. Facing intense competition for admissions, universities have always established stringent admission procedures and mechanisms to ensure fairness and impartiality in selecting the best candidates. As the cradle of future talent, our higher education institutions must be well prepared for Hong Kong to develop itself into an international hub for post-secondary education, be it academic standards or the establishment of systems.
In response to the question raised by the Hon Tang Fei, our key replies are as follows:
(1) All of the eight University Grants Committee (UGC)-funded universities have formed academic boards/senates to take charge of academic matters while academic units and/or graduate schools are responsible for the administration and gatekeeping of student admission. There are rigorous admission standards and procedures as well as clear guidelines in place for stringent vetting of the academic qualifications, public examination results and relevant documents of students admitted. Generally speaking, verification is made through various channels, such as requesting the admitted students to arrange for direct dispatch of relevant proof of study (e.g. transcripts) by the respective awarding institutions to the universities concerned, checking with credible platforms (e.g. the China Higher Education Student Information website), verifying the results with the relevant examination boards directly, or requesting the applicants to arrange for direct dispatch of their results by the relevant examination boards to the universities concerned. Students may also be required to produce originals or certified copies of the certificates or transcripts for further checking when registering with the universities in Hong Kong as and when necessary. Those who are unable to furnish the required documents in the above process may have their admission offers rescinded or registration rejected.
(2) The admission mechanisms of the eight UGC-funded universities uphold the principles of merit-based selection, fairness and impartiality. All universities will continue to provide training, including collaborating with the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) in this regard, inviting the ICAC to take part in reviewing or providing advice on the admission procedures, and formulating internal guidelines on corruption prevention, etc, with a view to raising anti-corruption awareness among relevant staff and ensuring the integrity of the system and fairness of the admission mechanisms. At the same time, the universities will diligently undertake their gatekeeping responsibilities and clearly demonstrate their zero tolerance stance towards using fraudulent academic qualifications to apply for admission. They will take decisive disciplinary actions upon discovery of such violations, including rescission of admission offers or expulsion, and will refer such cases to the relevant law enforcement agencies and visa-issuing authorities for follow-up action as appropriate. In addition, the universities have been paying closer attention to the recent untrue information, abetting and other illegal activities. They actively make clarifications on their websites, social media and in application forms, and remind applicants that all application materials must be accurate. Unlawful conduct will not be tolerated. In the light of the ever-changing circumstances, the universities will continually improve the arrangements to maintain their academic reputation. Issued at HKT 15:02
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
The Mainland University Study Subsidy Scheme (MUSSS) aims to support Hong Kong students in pursuing undergraduate studies on the Mainland and ensure that no students will be deprived of post-secondary education opportunity due to a lack of means. MUSSS comprises two components: “means-tested subsidy” (eligible students who have passed a means test will receive either a full-rate subsidy or a half-rate subsidy, depending on their needs) and “non-means-tested subsidy”. The subsidy is granted on a yearly basis, and the subsidised period is the normal duration of the undergraduate programme pursued by the student concerned in a designated Mainland institution. Eligible applicants can only receive either a means-tested subsidy or a non-means-tested subsidy in the same academic year. MUSSS is not subject to any quota.
For the 2024/25 academic year, there are 197 designated Mainland institutions. The means-tested subsidy and the non-means-tested subsidy will be disbursed to eligible students based on the distance between the location of their institutions and Hong Kong, which will be grouped under three categories, category (I) for distances less than 450 km, category (II) for distances between 450 km and 1 000 km as well as category (III) for distances over 1 000 km. Details of the subsidy rates under the different categories will be announced later.(a) having right of abode Note(1)(b) having received and completed senior secondary education in Hong Kong Note(2)(c) pursuing undergraduate studies in any of the 197 designated Mainland institutions in the 2024/25 academic year.(a) having right of abode Note(1)(b) having received and completed senior secondary education in Hong Kong Note(2)(c) pursuing undergraduate studies in any of the 197 designated Mainland institutions in the 2024/25 academic year; and (d)(1) attained “3322” Note(3)(d)(2) pursuing studies in Huaqiao University through “Pilot Scheme on the Articulation of Hong Kong Sub-degree Graduates to Huaqiao University”; OR (d)(3) admitted to a Mainland institution through the “School Principal Nomination Scheme” under the “Scheme for Admission of Hong Kong Students to Mainland Higher Education Institutions”.(1) A student who is expected to receive his/her right of abode within the 2024/25 academic year may also apply.(2) To also cover schools for Hong Kong children on the Mainland listed under the HKDSE Participating School List published by the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority. For the 2024/25 academic year, HKDSE graduates from Shenzhen Hong Kong Pui Kiu College Longhua Xinyi School and Affiliated School of JNU for Hong Kong and Macao Students are eligible to apply provided that they also fulfill other criteria listed under “Eligibility” of MUSSS.(3) Applicable to HKDSE results obtained on or before 2023.(4) Citizenship and Social Development subject replaced the original Liberal Studies subject in the 2024 HKDSE. The scoring criteria for the Citizenship and Social Development subject is “Attained” and “Not Attained”, with “A” representing “Attained”. The HKDSE results obtained in 2024 or later have been revised to “332A”.
Eligible students are required to submit their applications via the MUSSS Electronic Application Platform (https://musss.edb.gov.hk) or send the completed application forms and relevant supporting documents by post to EDB on or before 13 September 2024.
Details of MUSSS (including the list of designated Mainland institutions) are available at the EDB website (http://www.edb.gov.hk/musss).
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
LCQ12: Sister school scheme Question:
Under the Sister School Scheme (the Scheme), many schools in Hong Kong have formed sister school pairs (SSPs) with schools in Mainland cities. Through exchanges and co-operation, SSPs have deepened students’ understanding of Mainland and Hong Kong cultures, and promoted advancement in the quality of education. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) of the current number of SSPs formed between Hong Kong and Mainland schools, together with a tabulated breakdown by type of schools (i.e. secondary, primary and special schools) and finance type (i.e. public, Direct Subsidy Scheme and private);
(2) of the number of schools which successfully applied for the grant under the Scheme in each of the past 10 years, as well as the number and types of activities organised by the schools with the approved grant; and
(3) whether it will consider extending the scope of the grant under the Scheme to include international schools; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
President,
The Education Bureau (EDB) has launched the Sister School Scheme (the Scheme) since 2004 to encourage Hong Kong schools to form sister school pairs with their Mainland counterparts, with a view to broadening students’ horizons and enhancing their sense of national identity. The Scheme has served as a platform for professional interflows, through which schools in both places can conduct rich and multi-faceted exchanges at school management, teacher and student levels etc, to enhance mutual understanding and achieve mutual advancement in quality of education. The EDB has been actively promoting the Scheme and providing local publicly-funded schools with additional resources and professional support.
Our reply to the questions raised by Hon Lillian Kwok is as follows:
(1) To expand the network of sister schools, the Chief Executive announced in his Policy Address delivered in 2022 that the EDB would, on the basis of having about 780 publicly-funded schools in Hong Kong that had already formed over 2 100 sister school pairs with their Mainland counterparts at the very time, increase the number of Hong Kong schools which would be participating in the Scheme by 10 per cent to around 860 by the end of 2023. The above target had been achieved. According to the information submitted by schools, as of May 2024, a total of 935 afore-mentioned local schools had formed 2 933 sister school pairs with their Mainland counterparts. Relevant breakdowns are set out in the table below:
School type(Note 1)(Note 2)schoolsNote 1: As the Grant for the Sister School Scheme does not cover local private schools, the relevant figures are not available. Note 2: Public sector schools comprise government, aided and caput schools.
(2) To support local schools on planning and conducting exchange activities with their sister schools in the Mainland, since the 2018/19 school year, the EDB has been providing a recurrent grant and professional support to local public sector schools and Direct Subsidy Scheme schools (including special schools) that have formed sister schools with their Mainland counterparts. The grant is set at about $163,000 per school for the 2023/24 school year. The total numbers of schools provided with the grant from the EDB and the expenditures involved in the previous school years, broken down by school year, are set out in the table below:
School year(Note 3)($ million)Note 3: Only the number of schools that applied for the grant is shown. Some schools have formed sister school pairs with their Mainland counterparts but did not apply for the grant.
The EDB renders assistance for local schools to establish sister schools with their Mainland counterparts, as well as providing them with professional support. For example, the EDB co-ordinates pairing-up arrangements, organises exchange activities, conducts school visits, holds sharing sessions regularly to disseminate good practices of exchanges among sister schools, and commissions service contractor(s) to provide schools with advice and support in relation to the arrangements on exchange activities. These efforts seek to promote more in-depth and multi-angle professional exchanges and multi-faceted collaboration, with a view to enhancing the quality and quantity of sister school exchanges, and hence facilitating cultural exchange and increasing teachers and students’ knowledge and understanding of the Mainland.
All along, schools arrange exchange activities (such as school visits, student activities, seminars, teaching demonstrations, lesson evaluation, video conferencing and experience sharing) with their sister schools at student, teacher and school management levels based on their school-based development needs. Schools may publish information of their sister schools and exchange activities on their websites or through other channels. As schools are not required to provide us with details of all their exchange activities, the relevant information on the number and types of exchange activities is not available.
The modes of sister school exchange activities are multi-faceted. Apart from visits to sister schools in the Mainland, online exchanges can be organised for schools to learn from each other and share their experiences and insights at school management, teacher and student levels. Sister schools are encouraged to draw on good practices and develop online exchanges as an ongoing effort, so as to facilitate real-time interaction and sharing among students and teachers, while actively arranging on-site exchange activities for the same to gain first-hand exposure to local culture and an understanding of our motherland.
(3) At present, the Grant for the Sister School Scheme (the Grant) does not cover private schools (including international schools). Private schools are self-financing, market-driven and autonomous in their operation. They have to bear all operating expenses and the Government does not provide them with any recurrent subsidy. Therefore, it is not suitable to extend the Grant to private schools. The EDB will continue to encourage private schools (including international schools) to promote students’ understanding of Chinese history and culture to broaden their horizons having regard to school-based circumstances and needs.
Looking ahead, the EDB will continue to encourage local schools to participate in the Scheme, including providing schools with professional support through diversified modes as well as collection and dissemination of good practices, so as to encourage more exchanges between local schools and their Mainland counterparts under the Scheme. Issued at HKT 11:40
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
The Education Bureau (EDB) will hold four parent’s talks in September 2024 to enhance parents’ understanding of the Primary One Admission (POA) System.
Each talk will be divided into two parts. The guest speakers will share with the audience how parents can help children grow up healthily and happily through Home-School Co-operation, while the representatives from the EDB School Places Allocation Section will explain the mechanism and procedure of the POA 2025 in the second part. The talks will be conducted in Cantonese and admission is free. The details of the talks are as follows:EDB Parents’ Talk webpageOnline Application(Chinese version only)
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
The Working Group on Patriotic Education under the Constitution and Basic Law Promotion Steering Committee has organised a mascot and a logo design competition with the theme of “Love our Country, Love Hong Kong, Love our Community”. Students from primary and secondary schools, as well as tertiary institutions, are invited to participate in the competitions with a view to enhancing awareness and sense of patriotism among the youth. This will promote the mainstream values characterised by patriotism with affection for our country and Hong Kong and in conformity with the principle of “one country, two systems”.
Each of the two competition categories is divided into primary, secondary and tertiary sections. Participants may join more than one competition category, but may only submit one entry for each category. In each competition category, there will be one champion, one first runner-up, one second runner-up and one merit award for each section. To encourage students to actively participate in the competitions, there will also be a Most Supportive School Award. All winners will be awarded certificates. The champion, first runner-up and second runner-up will also be awarded annual passes to the Hong Kong Palace Museum. The winning entry may be adopted by the Government and featured in promotional materials in future.
Submission of entries for the competitions is open till July 15, 2024. The results are expected to be announced in September or October. Please scan the QR code in the picture or browse the link ( https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202405/30/P2024052900623.htm ) to download the rules of competition and application forms. Students are welcome to participate.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Centre for Health Protection
Department of Health
To maintain a healthy physique, you need to exercise regularly! Parents just need to put in some effort, and they can do simple physical games with their children at home. This not only promotes parent-child relationships, but also helps train the children’s limb coordination. Immediately watch the video and try the [Parent-child Physical Games – Cross the River] at home!
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
LCQ19: Parent education Question:
There are views that, in comparison with school education, family education is equally or even more important for the learning and growth of school children, but not every parent knows how to properly and effectively teach their children. In addition, it is learnt that while at present the Government relies primarily on the Education Bureau (EDB) to promote parent education, and EDB has adopted the approach of regarding “schools as a primary platform and the community as a complementary” in implementing parent education, schools differ in terms of motivation, effectiveness and content focus in the promotion of parent education. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) of the policy measures introduced and amount of resources allocated by the Government in recent years for the promotion of parent education; among such policy measures, of the respective numbers of those implemented through schools, other non-school organisations, and directly by government departments;
(2) regarding the implementation of parent education by primary and secondary schools, how the authorities monitor the relevant quantity, quality, and effectiveness;
(3) whether it has compiled statistics on the participation rates in parent education provided by primary and secondary schools across the territory, and the number of parents of school-age students who have never taken part in any parent education in the past five years; of its plans in place to increase the participation rates of such parents;
(4) apart from written circulars and the Parents’ Day normally held once every academic year, whether the Government will encourage schools to maintain communication and contact with parents through more frequent and diversified modes in respect of the learning and growth of students, including making good use of communication technologies such as video conferencing; and
(5) as it is learnt that some primary and secondary schools have provided national security education to parents through talks and other means in recent years, of the number of such activities and the participation rates of parents; whether the Government will further step up the relevant work, including enhancing the contents, frequencies and participation rates of such activities, as well as providing more assistance to schools and related organisations, so as to raise parents’ sense of national identity and awareness of patriotism?
Reply:
President,
Parents are the pivotal figures in nurturing, safeguarding and educating children, playing crucial roles in supporting children’s development and learning as well as fostering their proper values, positive attitude and behaviour. Therefore, the Government has long been promoting parent education through the Education Bureau (EDB) and other government bureaux.
Having consulted the Health Bureau, the consolidated reply to the question raised by the Hon Tony Tse is as follows:
(1) The EDB has all along been adopting the approaches of “parent-based” and “schools as a primary platform and the community as a complementary” to promote parent education through diversified means. To enable parents to acquire the necessary knowledge and skills for nurturing their children in a more systematic manner, the EDB commissioned a post-secondary institution to develop the curriculum frameworks on parent education for parents of students at different learning stages. The EDB introduced the Curriculum Frameworks on Parent Education for kindergarten (KG), primary school and secondary school in 2021, 2022 and May 2024 respectively (collaboratively named as the “Curriculum Frameworks”). All the Curriculum Frameworks have been uploaded onto the EDB’s website for schools’ and relevant organisations’ reference.
At school level, the EDB provided KGs joining the Kindergarten Education Scheme with an additional one-off subsidy of $90,000 to $100,000 in the 2021/22 school year, and a one-off grant on parent education of $200,000 for all publicly-funded primary and secondary schools in the 2022/23 and 2023/24 school years respectively to support schools to embark on structured school-based parent education programmes or activities having regard to the Curriculum Frameworks and the needs of parents and students. Besides, all public-sector schools have set up Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs), and the Committee on Home-School Co-operation has been assisting the Government in providing the “Subsidy for Home-School Co-operation Activities” and the “Subsidy for Joint Home-School Co-operation Project” for PTAs, encouraging PTAs to organise diversified school-based home-school co-operation and parent education activities or programmes with reference to the Curriculum Frameworks. To further enhance the support for schools, starting from the 2023/24 school year, the EDB has developed resource packages for primary and secondary schools based on the Curriculum Frameworks in phases to facilitate teachers, social workers and guidance personnel of schools in mastering the relevant knowledge and skills.
At territory level, starting from the 2022/23 school year, the EDB has commissioned post-secondary institutions and non-governmental organisations to organise territory-wide or district-based parent education courses and talks for parents and grandparents of KG and primary students with reference to the Curriculum Frameworks, and produce electronic learning resources to facilitate parents’ self-learning. The EDB has also been implementing the territory-wide Positive Parent Campaign (the Campaign) since 2020 to promote parent education through extensive and diversified channels, with a view to fostering positive thinking, strategies and attitudes in nurturing children among parents. In recent years, we have organised various parent education activities and produced a theme song for the Campaign, Announcements in the Public Interest on television and radio as well as animations and short videos on parent education to further enhance public awareness on positive parent education. We have also reached out to parents of different backgrounds in the communities to promote the messages of positive parenting through a moving showroom, parent-oriented websites, advertisements at MTR stations and on bus body, online platforms, etc.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
LCQ16: Monitoring of operation of international schools Question:
Regarding the monitoring of the operation of international schools, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) as it has been reported that the parents of students of an international kindergarten originally intended to cease operation at the end of July this year have been notified that the kindergarten may continue to operate with the current governing team in the next school year, whether any international schools and kindergartens, having applied for cessation of operation, have been approved by the authorities to continue operation in the past five years; if so, of the number, details and vetting and approval criteria of such cases;
(2) whether the Education Bureau (EDB) ultimately invoked section 14(1)(i) of the Education Ordinance (Cap. 279) in the past five years to refuse to register an international school due to the fact that the composition of the proposed management committee or incorporated management committee was such that the school might not be managed satisfactorily; if so, of the number and details of such cases;
(3) as it is reported that a number of international schools plan to increase tuition fees by four per cent to eight per cent in the next school year, of the specific role of the EDB in the determination of the rate of tuition fee adjustments and the financial arrangements by such schools and their sponsoring bodies; and
(4) as it has been reported that in January 2020, the Office of The Ombudsman issued a direct investigation report criticising the EDB for not setting up an approval mechanism in respect of the collection of charges other than tuition fees by international schools (e.g. construction fees and the requirement for parents to purchase debentures) over the years, and in June 2020, the then Secretary for Education indicated that international schools had to seek the EDB’s approval for collection of such charges starting from the 2020/2021 school year, of the implementation situation and progress of the relevant measure?
Reply:
President,
The education system in Hong Kong provides parents with diversified and high-quality choices. Apart from publicly-funded schools, private schools (including international schools) in Hong Kong have been playing a unique role in offering local and non-local curricula according to their mission. In particular, the Government is committed to developing a vibrant international school sector to meet the demand for international school places from non-local families living in Hong Kong and families coming to Hong Kong for work or investment. In the 2023/24 school year, there are 54 international schools (including one special school) in Hong Kong which admit 42 100 students, accounting for 6.4 per cent of some 650 000 primary and secondary students in Hong Kong. Apart from international schools, there are about 100 other private schools (Note) in Hong Kong.
(1) According to the Education Ordinance (Cap. 279) (the Ordinance), all schools must be registered with the Education Bureau (EDB). To obtain the registration for offering education, schools must comply with the regulations prescribed in the Ordinance in respect of the premises, safety, management and teaching staff. In the event that a school has ceased operation and cancelled its registration, any relevant persons intending to reopen a school at the old premises must submit application to the EDB for registration of a new school according to the relevant regulations. On the contrary, if a school has not ceased operation or cancelled its registration, there is no need to apply for school registration again. However, applications for a change in the school name and management of the school such as the school supervisor, the school manager and/or the school principal, have to be submitted to the EDB and obtain approval in accordance with the Ordinance before commencing operation.
(2) Schools have to comply with the relevant statutory requirements upon school registration. From our record, the EDB did not exercise the power under the concerned provision of the Ordinance to refuse applications for school registration in the past five years.
(3) In accordance with Regulation 65 of the Education Regulations (Cap. 279A), no change in fees shall be made by all schools (including international schools) without the prior written approval of the EDB. Schools which plan to adjust their school fees in the new school year are required to apply to the EDB. Private schools (including international schools) are self-financing and market-driven in their operation. The EDB will critically consider justifications provided by the schools (e.g. rent increase, salary adjustment of school staff, employment of additional teachers, purchase of teaching materials and major repair works, etc), the schools’ financial position, as well as the schools’ communication with parents on the relevant issues and response to parents’ concerns when examining the applications.
(4) The EDB had been actively following up on the recommendations made in the Ombudsman (OMB)’s report of January 2020 about establishing the more comprehensive application and approval mechanism regarding other charges (such as debentures, capital levies and fees for nomination rights) collected by private schools (including international schools). As it took time to establish a more comprehensive mechanism, the EDB had first introduced the transitional arrangement in the 2020/21 school year, allowing private schools which wished to continue collecting other charges for the 2020/21 school year to submit applications to the EDB. The EDB would examine the information submitted by the schools before granting the time-limited approval.
In the meantime, the EDB established the “Advisory Committee on Processing Applications for Collection of Capital Levies/Debentures/Nomination Rights” (the Committee), with members who were professional accountants, to formulate the more comprehensive application and approval mechanism to regulate the collection of other charges by private schools for long-term school development. The EDB also met with representatives of private schools with a view to understanding their operations. Following the recommendations of the Committee, the EDB issued the circular to private schools on August 22, 2023, to promulgate the implementation details of the application and approval mechanism for collection of other charges by private schools and started handling applications according to the new mechanism with effect from that date. On August 29, 2023, the EDB conducted a briefing session to give details of the mechanism to school representatives. Furthermore, after being informed of our work progress, the OMB concluded that the EDB had implemented the recommendations made in its investigation report.
Note: “Other private schools” refer to private ordinary primary and secondary day schools registered with the Education Bureau. They include day schools offering local or non-local curriculum day courses but not special schools and primary and secondary day courses operated by private schools offering tutorial, vocational and adult education courses. Issued at HKT 12:48
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
LCQ12: Developing a hub for primary and secondary education Question:
It has been reported that, with the worsening situation of low birth rate in Hong Kong, primary and secondary schools are facing “class reduction and school closure” one after another. On the other hand, the Chief Executive has proposed in the 2023 Policy Address to build Hong Kong into an international hub for post-secondary education. There are views that Hong Kong’s primary and secondary basic education also have significant advantages in developing international education (including teachers having all undergone high-quality and systematic training, and the curriculum being taught in both languages of Chinese and English, etc.), and the Government should make good use of such advantages and introduce policies to alleviate the impact of low birth rate, replenish the sources of students and nurture talents for the long-term development of Hong Kong. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) of the respective numbers of Mainland and overseas students currently enrolled in international schools at primary and secondary levels;
(2) whether it will consider constructing new school premises or converting the premises of some primary and secondary schools which have been closed or are likely to be closed, as well as providing additional supporting facilities (e.g. hostels), so as to operate primary and secondary schools dedicated to absorb Mainland and overseas students;
(3) whether it has plans to promote and admit students to local primary and secondary schools (including international schools and schools dedicated to offering Mainland curriculum) in the Mainland, neighbouring Chinese-populated regions and overseas, so as to increase the sources of students for various types of schools in Hong Kong; and
(4) whether it has plans to, while building Hong Kong into an international hub for post-secondary education, build Hong Kong into an international hub for primary and secondary education; if so, of the details; if not, whether it will consider the plans concerned?
Reply:
President,
The Chief Executive’s 2023 Policy Address outlined the direction to develop Hong Kong into an international post-secondary education hub and a cradle of future talents. This policy is based on the fact that Hong Kong has world-renowned universities and outstanding research talents, thus focusing only on post-secondary education. Regarding primary and secondary education, parents are provided with diverse and quality choices under the education system of Hong Kong.
The Government provides 12 years’ free primary and secondary education to eligible children through public sector schools. Non-local students who come to live in Hong Kong with their parents (including those who come to Hong Kong under various talent admission schemes) may also choose to enrol in any local public sector schools, Direct Subsidy Scheme schools or private schools (including international schools) that suit them, provided they meet the relevant eligibility requirements. We are glad to see that Hong Kong’s diverse and quality education is also one of the factors attracting talents to Hong Kong.
Faced with a structural decline in school-age population, the Government accords top priority to the interests of students when planning for the future development of education. Aiming for a “soft landing”, we review the policies and effectiveness of utilisation of public resources, and adjust the number of schools in a gradual and orderly manner to ensure a healthy and sustainable education ecosystem and optimal use of public resources. As to non-public sector schools, they may also admit overseas students in accordance with prevailing policies, should they provide adequate supporting arrangements.
Our reply to the questions raised by Professor the Hon William Wong is as follows:
(1) The numbers of non-local students in international schools in the 2023/24 school year are tabulated as follows:
Level(i) Figures refer to the position as at mid-September 2023. (ii) Figures include students in international schools, but not those in special schools. (iii) Local students refer to those who are Hong Kong permanent residents and do not have any valid passport other than the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Passport. Students not covered by this definition are all regarded as non-local students. (iv) Mainland students refer to those with Chinese nationality (including those from Mainland China, Macao and Taiwan).
Department of Fisheries to Host “Coastal States Meet 2025” on April 28th in Mumbai; Rs. 255 Crores worth of Fisheries Projects to be Unveiled Union Minister Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh to Launch Marine Fisheries Census Operations, Aqua Insurance in major sector push
Posted On: 26 APR 2025 11:19AM by PIB Delhi
The Department of Fisheries under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying is organizing a “Coastal States Meet – 2025” on 28th April 2025, at Hotel Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbaiunder the chairmanship of Union Minister, Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying (MoFAH&D) and Ministry of Panchayati Raj. Prof. S.P. Singh Baghel, Minister of State, MoFAH&D and Ministry of Panchayati Raj and Shri George Kurian, Minister of State, MoFAH&D and Ministry of Minority Affairs will also participate in the event.
Union Minister Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh will inaugurate and lay the foundation for key projects for 7 coastal states and UTs with a total outlay of Rs.255.30 crores under Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), underscoring the commitment of the government for advancing the fisheries sector in the coastal states & UTs. He will also launch a set of key initiatives aimed at strengthening marine fisheries and promoting sustainable practices including Marine Fisheries Census Operations, Turtle Excluder Device (TED) project and release of Standard Operating procedure for Vessel Communication and Support System.
On this occasion, certificates will also be distributed to outstanding Cooperatives, FFPOs, fisheries start-ups, and climate-resilient coastal fishing villages. As part of the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Kisan Samridhi Sah-Yojana (PMMKSSY), beneficiaries will also receive Aqua Insurance certificates and Kisan Credit Cards (KCC). Notably, the government has introduced Aqua Insurance for the first time, offering dedicated financial protection to aquafarmers. This landmark initiative ensures targeted insurance coverage, digital accessibility, and focused support for marginalized communities in the fisheries sector.
The meet will witness the gracious presence of eminent dignitaries, Shri Nitesh Neelam Narayan Rane, Hon’ble Minister of Fisheries, Government of Maharashtra, Shri Raghavjibhai Patel, Hon’ble Minister of Fisheries, Government of Gujarat, Shri. Nilkanth Halarnkar, Hon’ble Minister of Fisheries, Government of Goa, Shri Mankala S Vaidya, Hon’ble Minister of Fisheries, Government of Karnataka, Shri Kinjarapu Atchannaidu, Hon’ble Minister of Fisheries, Government of Andhra Pradesh, Shri Gokulananda Mallik, Hon’ble Minister of Fisheries, Government of Odisha, Shri K. Kailashnathan, IAS (Rtd.), Hon’ble Lt. Governor, UT of Puducherry. Officials from Department of Fisheries, State Fisheries Departments, ICAR Institutes and Bay of Bengal Programme (BoBP) will also participate in the meet.
The Coastal States Meet 2025 will also feature key technical sessions including Strengthening Marine Fisheries Governance: Integrating Marine Fisheries Regulation Acts (MFRAs), Monitoring, Control & Surveillance (MCS), and Sea-Safety; Model Mariculture SOPs; Standard Operating Procedure of the Vessel Communication and Support System (VCSS); Export Promotion – Processing, Value Chain & Quality Improvements; and Promotion of Traceability and Certification in Marine Capture Fisheries. These sessions aim to offer practical policy insights and technical guidance to strengthen marine fisheries, ensure safety, promote sustainable mariculture, and improve export capabilities. In addition, the event will host an exhibition showcasing innovative technologies, products, and initiatives in the fisheries and aquaculture sector, fostering knowledge exchange and highlighting best practices.
This meet serves as a vital platform for addressing region-specific challenges, promoting modern, eco-friendly approaches tailored to coastal ecosystems, and enhancing livelihood opportunities, productivity, and long-term economic development in the fisheries sector.
Background
The fisheries sector in India plays an important role in supporting rural livelihoods and contributing to the national economy. With a vast coastline and an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of 2.02 million square kilometres, India boasts of rich marine resources. The marine fisheries sector in India harbours significant potential, estimated at 5.31 million tonnes. Coastal states and Union Territories, which include around 3,477 coastal fishing villages, produce 72% of the country’s total fish production and account for 76% of India’s total seafood exports.