Government allots $2.5b to boost education quality

With four international schools coming on stream, it is estimated that about 5,000 additional international school places will be provided in the next few years.

According to a release, the Government plans to launch a $2.5 billion self-financing post-secondary education fund, Chief Executive Donald Tsang announced in his Policy Address today.

It will provide scholarships and enhance the quality of teaching and learning.

“We also propose to extend the ambit of the start-up loan scheme to support the development of student hostels by self-financing degree-awarding institutions. The total commitment of the scheme will be increased by $2 billion,” he said.

To internationalise and diversify Hong Kong’s higher-education sector, there are also plans to attract more overseas students to the city, and to extend student-exchange programmes to cover the sub-degree level.

The Government supports the construction of college premises by post-secondary institutions through granting land and loans, Mr Tsang said, noting a site at the former Queen’s Hill Camp in Fanling is expected to be put up for application next year.

With four international schools coming on stream, it is estimated that about 5,000 additional international school places will be provided in the next few years.

“We will continue to support the in situ expansion of individual international schools or allocate suitable vacant school premises to them for short-term use,” he said.