Policy Address

Enhancing Self-learning Ability through Information Technology

95.         The Government will launch the Fourth Strategy on Information Technology in Education this year.  Major initiatives include the phased provision of wireless network services and other supporting facilities for all public sector schools from the 2014/15 school year.

Increasing the Funding for Higher Education

96.         In recent years, the number of students attaining the minimum general entrance requirements exceeded the number of publicly-funded, first-year-first-degree places available.  The Government will provide students with more opportunities for higher education in the following five ways:

1. From the 2015/16 academic year and in the triennium that follows, the intake of senior-year undergraduate places in University Grants Committee-funded institutions will progressively increase by a total of 1 000 places so that 5 000 meritorious sub-degree graduates will be able to articulate to subsidised degree programmes each year by the 2018/19 academic year;
2. We will study the feasibility of a new scheme to subsidise up to 1 000 students per cohort to pursue self-financing undergraduate programmes in selected disciplines to meet Hong Kong’s manpower needs.  The scheme, if implemented, will benefit three cohorts of students, and will then be reviewed for its effectiveness;
3. A Mainland University Study Subsidy Scheme will be introduced so that students in need pursuing studies under the scheme for the Admission of Hong Kong Students to Mainland Higher Education Institutions may receive a means-tested grant of up to $15,000 per year during their studies.  The scheme is not subject to any quota.  It will benefit three cohorts of students, and will then be reviewed for its effectiveness;

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