Chief Executive Donald Tsang proposes forming a fund with a total commitment of $2.5 billion for the development of self-financing post-secondary education.
He also proposes increasing publicly funded first-year-first-degree places to 15,000 for each cohort from the 2012-13 academic year.
In his 2010-11 Policy Address at the Legislative Council today, Mr Tsang said the Government attaches great importance to education and it is the largest single expenditure item in the budget, representing more than 20% of total government recurrent expenditure.
"We will step up efforts to diversify our post-secondary education. We propose to set up a fund with a total commitment of $2.5 billion for the development of self-financing post-secondary education. The fund will offer scholarships to students of self-financing post-secondary programmes, and support institutions to enhance the quality of teaching and learning," he said.
He proposes to increase publicly funded first-year-first-degree places to 15,000 for each cohort from the 2012-13 academic year.
"Taking into account the views of the University Grants Committee, we also recommend senior year intake places should be doubled progressively to 4,000 each year to provide more articulation opportunities for sub-degree graduates," he said, adding the proposed additional places will involve an additional annual expenditure of about $1 billion.
"Upon full implementation, over 30% of our young people in the relevant age group will have the chance to take self-financing or publicly-funded degree programmes. Including sub-degree places, young people attending local post-secondary programmes will account for about 65% of the age group, more than double the level of about 30% a decade ago."
Mr Tsang said the Government will increase opportunities for students to participate in Mainland learning and exchange activities.
"Our target is to subsidise every primary and secondary school student to join at least one Mainland exchange programme. We will organise more exchange activities together with voluntary groups through the 'Passing on the Torch' programme, providing 4,000 additional places a year. We expect to achieve this by the 2015-16 school year," he said, adding the Education Bureau will improve students' understanding of the Basic Law.
