Chief Executive Donald Tsang has pledged to bolster education by offering 12-year free primary public schooling, implementing small-class teaching, allowing the development of more international schools and accommodating more non-local talent.

In his 2007-08 Policy Address today Mr Tsang said Hong Kong has spent a decade developing education on all fronts and the education reform process has now entered a consolidation and fine-tuning stage.

Hong Kong has been providing nine-year free education through public primary and secondary schools, and there have been calls for its expansion to senior secondary level.

"We will offer 12-year free education from the 2008-09 school year. We will fully subsidise students in public secondary schools, including senior secondary education. For students under the new three-year senior secondary education structure starting from the 2009-10 school year, we will provide 12-year free education. For those secondary students under the existing structure, we will provide 13-year free education," Mr Tsang said.

As some Form 3 school leavers have chosen to enrol in Vocational Training Council courses instead of pursuing senior secondary education the Government will fully subsidise these courses to provide an alternative free avenue for these students to further their studies outside mainstream education from the 2008-09 school year.

Small-class teaching

Small-class teaching will be implemented in Primary 1 from the 2009-10 school year in suitable public primary schools in phases. By the 2014-15 school year this initiative will be extended to all classes up to Primary 6.

"Some people consider that small-class teaching is just one of the means to enhance the quality of teaching and learning. As such a one-size-fits-all approach requiring all schools to reduce class size should be avoided. In some school nets, if all schools implemented small-class teaching, there would be a shortage of school places.

"The full implementation of small-class teaching hinges on having enough teachers and classrooms. Therefore we need to be flexible and pragmatic in implementing this policy. As the preference and conditions necessary for small-class teaching vary among schools, the Education Bureau will allow flexibility and fully consult the stakeholders and respect their opinions in formulating detailed implementation arrangements, which are expected to be finalised by September 2008."

International schools, outside talent

The Government will make available several sites at nominal premium for the development of new international schools or the expansion of existing schools with interest-free capital works assistance loans.

It will consider allowing the international school sector to develop hostel facilities on a trial basis, with a view to attracting students from around the world.

The Government will introduce a package of measures which includes increasing admission quotas for non-local students to tertiary institutions, relaxing employment restrictions on them, and providing scholarships to strengthen support to local and non-local students.

"Attracting more outstanding students to study in Hong Kong will enlarge our pool of talent and enhance the quality of our population. It will also help create a diversified cultural and learning environment, and broaden the horizons of our students," Mr Tsang said.

Non-local students taking full-time and locally-accredited programmes at degree level or above will be allowed to take up part-time jobs on campus and full-time summer jobs off campus without Immigration Department approval. These students will also be free to take up study-related internships arranged by their tertiary institutions.

"We will relax the restrictions on seeking employment after graduation and the condition of stay during employment in Hong Kong. Such measures will enhance our status as an education hub and bring young, new and high quality talent into our population."

More diversity, exchanges

University Grants Committee Chairperson Laura Cha hailed the measures to woo outstanding non-local students saying the move will boost the student body's diversity and cultural exchange, and broaden local students' perspective.

"The benefit does not stop at university, but will allow Hong Kong to attract talent for our economy to prosper, and also cultivate invaluable long-term relationships among our future leaders in Hong Kong and in other places," Mrs Cha said.

The commission will help its funded institutions to draw up phasing plans for admitting additional non-local students.