The Education Bureau has proposed to increase school fees for Secondary 4 and 5 from $5,670 to $6,020, and school fees for Secondary 6 and 7 from $9,450 to $9,870 in the 2007-08 school year.

The bureau today told lawmakers that under the prevailing policy of school fees for the senior secondary places in aided and government secondary schools, it aims to achieve a cost recovery rate of 18% of the recurrent cost and school fees are revised on a school-year basis.

To achieve the target recovery rate of 18% in a gradual and smooth manner, the bureau has adopted a phased approach to increasing fees.

Assuming enrolment at senior secondary classes in aided and government secondary schools and the number of students receiving assistance under the fee remission scheme will remain at the level of the 2006-07 school year, additional revenue from the proposed fee increase will amount to about $54 million per year.