Public consultation on review of Post Secondary Colleges Ordinance starts

     The Education Bureau (EDB) released a consultation document on the review of the Post Secondary Colleges Ordinance (Cap. 320) today (December 21) to solicit views from members of the public on the legislative amendment proposals. 
      
     Pursuant to the recommendation of the Task Force on Review of Self-financing Post-secondary Education, the EDB has commenced a review of the Post Secondary Colleges Ordinance and its subsidiary legislation, the Post Secondary Colleges Regulations (Cap. 320A). In consultation with the Committee on Self-financing Post-secondary Education and key stakeholders in the self-financing post-secondary education sector, the EDB has formulated a set of proposed legislative amendments, on which members of the public are being consulted through the consultation document.
      
     A spokesman for the EDB said, "It is in the interest of the public to have a unified regulatory framework for all operators of self-financing post-secondary education programmes at both the degree and sub-degree levels. The revamped legislation will support and facilitate the development of self-financing institutions whilst ensuring an appropriate level of transparency and accountability in the operation of self-financing institutions in tandem with the academic and institutional governance expected of a modern higher education institution.
      
     "The updated legislation will also provide for an effective and efficient mechanism to uphold the quality of self-financing post-secondary education by rationalising the arrangements for registration/deregistration of institutions and awarding of degrees, as well as repealing obsolete and overly prescriptive provisions."
      
     The consultation document has been uploaded to the website of the EDB at www.edb.gov.hk/en/about-edb/press/consultation/index.html. The consultation period will last for three months until March 19, 2021. Members of the public are invited to send their views by post to Further Education Division, Education Bureau, 7/F, East Wing, Central Government Offices, 2 Tim Mei Avenue, Tamar, Hong Kong; by fax to 3579 5097; or by email to 320review@edb.gov.hk.
      
     The Task Force submitted its review report to the Government in December 2018, reaffirming the government policy of supporting the parallel development of the publicly-funded and self-financing post-secondary education sectors. The Government has accepted the recommendations in full, including that Cap. 320 should be comprehensively reviewed and updated, making reference to comparable provisions in the statutes governing publicly-funded universities and in tandem with the academic and institutional governance expected of a modern higher education institution.