Tertiary education report submitted

December 27, 2018

Task Force on Review of Self-financing Post-secondary Education Chairman Prof Anthony Cheung:
The Task Force sees merit in the parallel development of the publicly funded and self-financing post-secondary education sectors, which should be conducive to the growth and diversity of higher education in Hong Kong. However, there should be a clearer differentiation between the two sectors. The self-financing sector needs to be reformed and modernised in order to operate vibrantly alongside the publicly-funded sector. The Government has a role to foster strategic co-ordination among self-financing institutions and help them identify and develop their distinct character and niche areas. The present Committee on Self-financing Post-secondary Education should be strengthened with the role to provide advice to the Government on measures to promote, facilitate, support and co-ordinate the development of the sector. On sub-degree education, the Task Force considers that the prevailing binary system of sub-degree education comprising Associate Degree (AD) and Higher Diploma (HD) qualifications should be maintained at large. However, there is a need to more sharply differentiate the positioning of the two qualifications with Associate Degree primarily preparing students for articulation to general degree programmes; and Higher Diploma preparing students for either immediate employment in relevant industries and professions, or articulation to specialised professional degree programmes. To further enhance the quality of sub-degree education, the Government should conduct a more focused study to review and improve the structure and curriculum of both the Associate Degree and the Higher Diploma qualifications.

The Task Force on Review of Self-financing Post-secondary Education submitted its review report to the Government today with 13 recommendations.

The task force made reference to the practices in other economies and considered the views collected through a two-month public consultation.

Its Parallel Development, Promoting Diversity report, re-affirms the Government’s policy of supporting the parallel development of the publicly-funded and self-financing post-secondary education sectors.

Task force Chairman Prof Anthony Cheung said they see merit in such parallel development but there should be a clearer differentiation between the two sectors.

“The self-financing sector needs to be reformed and modernised in order to operate vibrantly alongside the publicly-funded sector. The Government has a role to foster strategic co-ordination among self-financing institutions and help them identify and develop their distinct character and niche areas.”

He also said the Committee on Self-financing Post-secondary Education should be strengthened with the role to advise the Government on measures to promote, facilitate, support and co-ordinate the development of the sector.

On sub-degree education, Prof Cheung said the task force believes the prevailing binary system of sub-degree education comprising Associate Degree and Higher Diploma qualifications should be maintained.

“However, there is a need to more sharply differentiate the positioning of the two qualifications with Associate Degree primarily preparing students for articulation to general degree programmes; and Higher Diploma preparing students for either immediate employment in relevant industries and professions, or articulation to specialised professional degree programmes.”

He added that to further enhance the quality of sub-degree education, the Government should conduct a more focused study to review and improve the structure and curriculum of both qualifications.

Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung thanked Prof Cheung and all task force members for their hard work and contribution to the report.

He said the task force has set a clear direction for the development and positioning of the self-financing sector, adding the Education Bureau will study the report and consider its recommendations to map the way forward.

Click here for the report.