Tag Archives: China

     â€‹Following is a question by Dr the Hon Chow Man-kong and a written reply by the Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, in the Legislative Council today (January 10):
     
Question:
 
     According to the Subsidized Schools Provident Fund Annual Report 2022 of the Education Bureau (EDB), a total of 3 493 contributors withdrew from the Subsidized Schools Provident Fund in the 2021-2022 school year. Among them, contributors with less than 10 years of service accounted for 24 per cent of the withdrawals. There are views that the figures reflect the serious wastage of teachers. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) of (i) the number of newly-joined teachers (and the percentage of such number in the overall number of teachers) and (ii) the number of teachers who departed (and the percentage of such number in the overall number of teachers) in each of the past three school years, together with a breakdown by length of teaching service (i.e. (a) newly-joined, (b) below 10 years, (c) 10 to 15 years and (d) above 15 years) and type of schools (i.e. (I) kindergartens, (II) special schools, (III) public sector and Direct Subsidy Scheme (DSS) primary schools and (IV) public sector and DSS secondary schools) (set out in Table 1 the numbers for (I) and (II), and in Table 2 the numbers for (III) and (IV));

Table 1 Type of schools:               

Type of teachers	Length of teaching service	Number of teachers (and the percentage of such number in the overall number of teachers)
		2020-2021 school year	2021-2022 school year	2022-2023 school year
(i)	(a)
	(b)
	(c)
	(d)
(ii)	(b)
	(c)
	(d)

Table 2 Type of schools:               

Type of teachers	Finance type	Length of teaching service	Number of teachers (and the percentage of such number in the overall number of teachers)
			2020-2021 school year	2021-2022 school year	2022-2023 school year
(i)	Public sector	(a)
		(b)
		(c)
		(d)
	DSS	(a)
		(b)
		(c)
		(d)
(ii)	Public sector	(b)
		(c)
		(d)
	DSS	(b)
		(c)
		(d)

    
(2) whether it has studied the respective reasons for departure of the aforesaid experienced teachers and teachers with shorter length of teaching service, and formulated corresponding measures to retain talents;
 
(3) whether it knows the numbers of course places (broken down by full-‍time and part-time courses) of and the actual student enrolments in the teacher training courses provided by the five universities offering Bachelor of Education and Post-graduate Diploma in Education programmes (PGDE programmes) (i.e. the University of Hong Kong (HKU), the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), the Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK), the Hong Kong Baptist University and the Hong Kong Metropolitan University) in each of the past three school years and the current school year, together with a breakdown by level of education (i.e.‍ kindergarten, primary school, secondary school and special education) and major teaching subject (including but not limited to Chinese Language, English Language, Geography and Economics); of the principles and criteria for allocation of places for the aforesaid teacher training courses; and
 
(4) given that the EDB will increase the number of places for part-time PGDE programmes of three universities, namely HKU, CUHK and EdUHK, in designated subjects for the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 school years, of the specific number of additional places to be provided each year and the distribution of such additional places, and whether there will be consequential reduction in the number of places for PGDE programmes in certain subjects; whether it has assessed, by drawing reference from the number of departed teachers in the last three school years and the trend concerned, the supply of and demand for teacher training course places in the coming three to five years, so as to enable the relevant institutions to better plan for organisation of their teacher training courses, with a view to filling the vacancies for teachers?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     The Education Bureau (EDB) has all along been committed to maintaining a teaching profession of high quality and closely monitoring the manpower situation of teachers with timely and appropriate measures taken to ensure the quality of education and smooth operation of schools. With the declining school-aged population, the demand for teachers would decrease correspondingly. We will continue to monitor the situation and maintain close communication with the school sector.
 
     Our reply to the question raised by Dr the Hon Chow Man-kong is as follows:
 
(1) The numbers and percentages of newly recruited teachers as well as the numbers of drop-out teachers and the wastage rates in kindergartens (KGs) joining the Kindergarten Education Scheme (the Scheme) by length of service from the 2020/21 to 2022/23 school years are at Annex 1. The numbers and percentages of newly recruited teachers as well as the numbers of drop-out teachers and the wastage rates in public sector and Direct Subsidy Scheme (DSS) primary and secondary schools and aided special schools from the 2020/21 to 2022/23 school years are at Annex 2. Since the EDB did not collect data on the length of service of teachers in public sector and DSS primary and secondary schools as well as aided special schools in or before the 2022/23 school year, we are unable to provide relevant figures by length of service.
 
(2) There are various reasons for teacher wastage, which mainly include retirement, pursuing further studies, changing to other types of schools, taking up employment outside the teaching profession, and leaving the post due to other personal reasons. To increase the attractiveness of the teaching profession and at the same time retain talent, the EDB has implemented quite a number of new measures for primary and secondary schools to support school development, and provide teachers with a stable teaching environment and a better career prospect in recent years. These measures include full implementation of the All-Graduate Teaching Force policy in the 2019/20 school year; establishment of the Professional Ladder for Teachers and improvement of the manpower of vice-principals in public sector primary and secondary schools, as well as the manpower of senior teachers and ranking arrangements of principals in public sector secondary schools in the 2020/21 school year; and improvement of manpower at the middle management level, rationalisation of the pay structures for school heads and deputy heads in primary schools starting from the 2022/23 school year to enhance teachers’ promotion prospects. In tandem, through diversified professional development programmes, the EDB also strives to strengthen the professional competencies of in-service teachers and principals, and broaden their horizons.
 
     As for KGs, to retain and attract quality teachers, KGs joining the Scheme (Scheme-KGs) are encouraged to establish a career ladder and offer competitive remuneration. Various measures have also been adopted to ensure that teachers are reasonably remunerated. We have set salary ranges for teachers of different ranks; requested Scheme-KGs to remunerate their teachers within the prescribed salary ranges; and would follow up on irregular cases. Scheme-KGs are required to prescribe 60 per cent of the unit subsidy as teachers’ salary portion, which must be used on teachers’ salaries and related expenses. KGs may deploy any portion of the remaining 40 per cent for teachers’ salaries and related expenses, but not vice versa. The accumulated surplus exceeding the reserve ceiling of both the teachers’ salary portion and the whole unit subsidy will be clawed back to the EDB. The above various measures encourage schools’ optimal use of the subsidy on teachers’ salaries. We will continue to maintain communication with the sector pragmatically, and keep making refinements to the Scheme with a view to providing high quality KG education to students.
 
(3) & (4) The Government has been prudent in the planning for teacher education (TE) places. The overall planning of the Government-funded TE programmes is made under a triennial planning cycle so as to meet the needs of our society. When conducting the planning exercise for the 2022-25 triennium, having taken into consideration the declining school-age population and anticipated decrease in the demand for teachers, it was planned that the number of undergraduate intake places at primary and secondary levels would be gradually reduced in the 2022-25 triennium. The numbers of places in TE programmes offered by local TE universities and the enrolments in the past three and the current academic years (i.e. 2020/21 to 2023/24 academic years) are at Annex 3. 
 
     On the other hand, in view of the higher than expected number of untrained newly-joined teachers in the 2021/22 and 2022/23 school years, the EDB has promptly responded to the keen demand from the school sector for part-time TE programmes by providing extra funding for the University of Hong Kong, the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the Education University of Hong Kong to increase 239 and 211 (i.e. 450 in total) intake places of part-time Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) programmes in specified subjects in the 2023/24 and 2024/25 school years respectively through the University Grants Committee to equip untrained teachers who are committed to the teaching profession, thereby raising the overall quality of education. While increasing the number of places for part-time PGDE programmes, we have, taking into account the information on the major subjects of untrained teachers, formulated the recommended allocation of places for each subject to provide reference for the TE universities in their planning. More of the increased places will be allocated to subjects such as English Language, Mathematics and Science Education, and the related increase will not affect the original number of places for PGDE programmes in other subjects.
 
     The planning of teacher training places for the 2025-28 triennium has started. The Government will carefully consider a basket of factors, including the overall demand and supply of teachers, the sustainable development of TE universities, the quality of TE programmes, the future needs of our society and the latest development of the curriculum, when planning the teacher training places. read more

     Following is a question by the Hon Dominic Lee and a reply by the Acting Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr Raistlin Lau, in the Legislative Council today (Jan 10):
 
Question:
 
     The Government has earlier on put forward the setting up of two museums about our country and the War of Resistance, with the museum showcasing the development and achievements of our country (the new museum) proposed to be set up by utilising the current site of the Hong Kong Science Museum (HKScM), while the HKScM is proposed to be reprovisioned at the current site of the Hong Kong Heritage Museum (HKHM). Some members of the public are worried that under the reprovisioning plan, the HKHM, which showcases the modern culture of Hong Kong and achievements of local performing artistes, will be lost in Hong Kong. Regarding the planning of museums, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) of the time for completing the planning exercise of the aforesaid museums, and the estimated completion time of the new museum and the reprovisioned HKScM;
 
(2) as the Government intends to construct a branch museum of the Hong Kong Museum of Art (HKMoA) on a site in the vicinity of the Ocean Park Hong Kong (Ocean Park), and is considering integrating the existing collections of HKHM into HKMoA and the branch museum, of the collections to be integrated into the branch museum, and how such collections will be displayed during the transitional period before the commissioning of the branch museum; whether the authorities will consider strengthening the linkage between the branch museum and the Ocean Park, with a view to enhancing the travel and entertainment experience of visitors; and
 
(3) whether it will, through the current exercise involving the planning of multiple museums, respond to the views of society on the need to set up a “Bruce Lee Museum”?
 
Reply:
 
President,
      
     To foster the cultural development of Hong Kong to expedite its progression into an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange, the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau and the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) are currently reviewing the future development of museums, including planning for new museums, expanding or renovating existing museums, and defining the themes of the museums, with a view to optimising the overall development of museums in Hong Kong and further enriching the cultural landscape of the city. The prime directions for museum development include the promotion of Chinese history and culture, pop culture, art, science, technology and astronomy, as well as the topics of interest to the general public. Our reply to the question raised by the Hon Dominic Lee is as follows:

(1) The Chief Executive announced in the 2023 Policy Address that the Government would set up two museums about our country and the War of Resistance, one of which would focus on showcasing the development and significant achievements of our country over the years. Subsequently, we provided relevant information on the proposed arrangements for setting up the new museum to the Legislative Council (LegCo) Panel on Home Affairs, Culture and Sports at its meeting in December. As we have clarified at the meeting, the Government will engage the LegCo and various stakeholders, and seek their views on the overall planning and future development of museums in Hong Kong. As a preliminary concept, the new museum should be located at a conveniently accessible site in the town centre to facilitate easy visits by the public, tourists and groups of school students. It will also require a relatively vast space for inclusion of various exhibition contents and better promotion of the world-renowned development and achievements of our country. We are working closely with the Development Bureau and other relevant departments to explore and identify the optimal site for the new museum while formulating appropriate plans for its contents, curatorial approach and implementation schedule. When designing and developing the contents of the new museum, we will consult relevant Mainland authorities or museums, and draw reference from their views and information.

(2) The rearrangement of the collections of the Hong Kong Heritage Museum (HKHM) by, for example, integrating the art-related collections into the Hong Kong Museum of Art (HKMoA) and its proposed branch museum, is our preliminary concept at this juncture. That said, it is necessary to stress again that we do treasure every museum collection item greatly, and the LCSD will endeavour to provide space for displaying our collections having regard to donors’ wishes and other factors. The preliminary identification of a site in the Southern District on Hong Kong Island for the proposed branch museum of the HKMoA has been made after considering the large number of art galleries setting foot in the district in recent years, and the official opening of the Hong Kong Arts Development Council’s new premises in Wong Chuk Hang in July 2023. Setting up the branch museum of the HKMoA in the Southern District will further boost the cultural ambience of the district and facilitate the development of an arts hub there. By enriching the local cultural landscape, we will develop the Southern District into a place full of vibrancy for people to explore new ideas and have fun. Given the proximity of the branch museum to the Ocean Park, we will also consider collaborating with the Ocean Park to create a synergistic effect in cultural tourism, thereby broadening the audience base of the museum with more locals and visitors, and bringing more people to the Ocean Park.

(3) Hong Kong’s unique pop culture, which covers film, television, music, martial arts and others, is an important cultural brand of its own. It demonstrates Hong Kong’s characteristic fusion of cultural elements of the East and West, of the old and new, and of the high and low. It is also a reflection of Hong Kong’s creativity and charisma in integrating diverse cultures. With the launch of the Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival in 2023, the Government will organise the festival in collaboration with industry practitioners on an annual basis. In addition, the HKHM has reserved designated gallery for holding exhibitions and extension activities on Hong Kong’s pop culture, with a view to expanding the collaboration network and building up collections for a powerful display of significant achievements in Hong Kong’s pop culture. In the long run, to strengthen our focus on the collection and showcasing of Hong Kong’s pop culture, we are contemplating a new museum site for relevant exhibitions and artefacts to set up a “Pop Culture Centre” as a landmark for pop culture and a tourist attraction to appeal to different groups of people including the younger generation and tourists. The Government adopts an open stance regarding the long-term planning of the future “Pop Culture Centre”, and welcomes suggestions from stakeholders on the exhibition themes, contents and collections of the Centre for further study and consideration.

     We understand the concerns about the future development of the museums of Hong Kong raised by the public and different sectors of the community. We expect to consult the LegCo and various stakeholders on the overall future planning of museums in Hong Kong and their development plans in the first half of this year. read more

     The Government Property Agency (GPA) is inviting tenders for a three-year licence for the installation and operation of four automatic vending machines in two areas outside the Passenger Terminal Building, Shenzhen Bay Port Hong Kon… read more

     Following is a question by the Hon Yung Hoi-yan and a written reply by the Secretary for Development, Ms Bernadette Linn, in the Legislative Council today (January 10):   Question:        … read more

     Following is a question by the Hon Mrs Regina Ip and a written reply by the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui, in the Legislative Council today (January 10):
 
Question:
 
     There are views that the numerous Islamic countries along the Belt and Road (B&R) are the key links of the eight major steps to support high-quality B&R co-operation, and attracting investors from these countries will bring enormous opportunities to Hong Kong. However, the lack of understanding of Islamic culture and financial system in Hong Kong society has hampered the Government’s strategic goal of strengthening the promotion of financial co-operation with Islamic countries. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) whether the Government has, in order to attract more investors from Islamic countries to establish their bases in Hong Kong, formulated measures to facilitate the needs of Muslims in their daily lives, such as promoting the supply of Halal-certified food products and providing more prayer rooms in public places; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
 
(2) as it is learnt that Hong Kong currently lacks talents familiar with Islamic culture and Sharia principles, whether the Government has measures in place to nurture the relevant talents, including encouraging local students to study Arabic or to study in the Middle East countries, and encouraging local universities to offer relevant courses, so as to enhance Hong Kong’s attractiveness in the eyes of investors from Islamic countries; if so, of the details and the implementation timetable; if not, whether it will consider formulating the relevant measures;
 
(3) whether it will draw on the experience of Singapore and Malaysia in offering courses related to Islamic finance education and providing relevant training, so as to enhance the financial sector’s understanding of the Islamic financial system; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
 
(4) whether the Government has formulated other measures, apart from the issuance of sukuk, to foster the development of the local Islamic financial market, including developing new products and assisting the financial sector in examining whether its products are Sharia-compliant and meet market needs; if so, of the details and the implementation timetable; if not, whether it will consider formulating the relevant measures?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     Hong Kong is an active participant, contributor and beneficiary of the Belt and Road (B&R) Initiative. We have been fully participating and contributing to the B&R Initiative. Apart from serving as a “super connector”, Hong Kong will also leverage our strengths to be the “super value-adder” for the next stage of our country’s B&R development. We are committed to strengthening the exchanges and co-operations with B&R countries (including Islamic countries), capitalising on our role as the functional platform for the B&R.
 
     Having consulted the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau, the Education Bureau, the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau, and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), the consolidated reply is as follows:
 
(1) Currently, Hong Kong’s global economic and trade network covers 128 countries, including Islamic countries. For the overseas Economic and Trade Offices (ETOs) of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), the Jakarta and Dubai ETOs cover such Islamic countries as Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, which help deepen Hong Kong’s understanding of Islamic countries. Invest Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council will each set up two additional consultant offices along the B&R (including Islamic countries) in 2024-25 to strengthen our investment and trade promotion efforts.
 
     Separately, in February and July last year, the Chief Executive led two high-level delegations to visit a total of five B&R countries (including Islamic countries) in the Middle East and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The HKSAR Government also organised the Eighth Belt and Road Summit (the Summit) in September last year, with the addition of the Middle East Forum. The Summit attracted nearly 6 000 senior government officials, business leaders and representatives of enterprises from over 70 B&R-related countries and regions. Apart from gaining friendship with these countries/regions, promoting Hong Kong’s advantages and further tapping into the markets of Islamic countries, these activities facilitate our understanding of the investment and daily needs of the countries concerned as well as formulation of suitable responses by the Hong Kong market.
 
     On promoting the supply of Halal-certified food products, there are relevant Islamic organisations in Hong Kong providing Halal certification for food products in accordance with Islamic law and procedures. Many Halal-certified restaurants are operating in Hong Kong as well. With the increasingly frequent economic and trade exchanges between Hong Kong and the Middle East, we will strengthen the liaison with the relevant organisations in catering for the daily needs of the Muslim community. For example, there is an industry association exploring the feasibility of establishing a certification body in Hong Kong on Halal certification for food products. Moreover, there are established channels for the Government to respond to their other needs. For example, regarding religious facilities, the Government has been in close dialogue with religious bodies and welcomes their applications for using vacant Government land for religious purposes.
 
(2) and (3) The Government attaches great importance to enhancing and optimising the human capital to cater for the evolving development needs of Hong Kong and maintain Hong Kong’s overall competitiveness.
 
     We encourage Hong Kong students to learn the languages of the B&R countries and regions in addition to Chinese and English. For instance, the Arabic language is included in the international examinations administered by the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority. Through learning multiple languages, students can participate in the implementation of the B&R Initiative more readily and communicate with the local people in the B&R countries.
 
     On tertiary education, some tertiary institutions are offering courses on Islamic culture and Islamic finance as part of the undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. The Government will also consider the manpower requirements of various sectors of the community when formulating plans (including allocation of student places and funding) for University Grants Committee (UGC)-funded institutions.
 
     Apart from introducing suitable courses, the Government and tertiary institutions have been encouraging students to participate in learning experience programmes outside Hong Kong to widen their horizon. To facilitate exchanges between local tertiary students and those from the B&R countries and strengthen education collaboration with B&R countries, the Government has introduced the Belt and Road Scholarship (the Scholarship) since the 2016/17 academic year to support students from B&R countries/regions to pursue post-secondary programmes in Hong Kong. The Scholarship currently offers 100 places per annum, covering students from all countries/regions along the B&R pursuing publicly-funded full-time undergraduate and research postgraduate programmes in Hong Kong. The Government also subsidises post-secondary students in Hong Kong to participate in short-term internship or study in B&R regions through the Scheme for Subsidy on Exchange to Belt and Road Regions for Post-secondary Students, with a view to encouraging students to seize new opportunities brought about by the B&R Initiative while facilitating education and cultural exchanges between Hong Kong and the B&R regions. All the above schemes cover exchange activities in Islamic countries.
 
     The Government and the UGC will continue to promote the interaction of industries and education to enable universities to grasp the development opportunities of different industries (including the financial industry), proactively respond to the manpower needs when devising new programmes, and keep the current programmes updated by covering more innovative elements tailored to the development trends of industries.
 
(4) To promote the development of Islamic finance (including the sukuk market) in Hong Kong, we have taken concrete steps to build a conducive platform for sukuk issuance, including amending our laws in 2013 and 2014 respectively to provide for a tax structure for sukuk issuance comparable to that for conventional bonds, and include such issuances under the Government Bond Programme (GBP).
 
     In 2014, 2015 and 2017, three sukuk of different structures and tenors totalling US$3 billion were issued under the GBP to demonstrate to the global market the strengths of our Islamic finance platform, with a view to attracting more issuers and investors to participate in the capital market of Hong Kong. The three issuances have successfully demonstrated the viability of the Hong Kong platform, and that our legal, regulatory and taxation framework can readily support sukuk issuances, including sukuk of different structures. We believe that these market development efforts help enhance the attractiveness of Hong Kong’s sukuk platform vis-a-vis other financial centres in the region. An array of Islamic financial products and services have been introduced in Hong Kong, including the listing of global sukuk on the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX), Islamic funds, Shariah-compliant equity indices and Islamic banking windows.
 
     We have been stepping up the promotion of the advantages of Hong Kong’s financial system and market, so as to attract foreign investment or financing activities to Hong Kong, and further consolidate Hong Kong’s status as an international financial centre. For instance, the Global Financial Leaders’ Investment Summit hosted in November last year and the inaugural PRIORITY Asia Summit organised by Saudi Arabia’s Future Investment Initiative Institute in December last year, saw active participation by market institutions and persons interested in taking part in Hong Kong’s Muslim financial activities. The Government will co-organise the Asian Financial Forum (AFF) with the Hong Kong Trade Development Council on January 24 and 25 this year, with a distinguished congregation of influential leaders from governments as well as the financial and business sectors around the world (including those from Islamic countries) to exchange insights on the opportunities and challenges that global economic development bring to the Asian financial and commercial sectors. A discussion session featuring “Islamic Finance: Principles, Practices, and Global Impact” will be included to facilitate exchange of views on the Islamic financial market development.
 
     The HKMA also held bilateral meetings with the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates (CBUAE) and the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) in May and July last year respectively. Discussions covered a number of areas, including financial infrastructure development and market connectivity. The HKMA will continue to deepen the collaboration in financial services with the CBUAE and the SAMA, with a view to promoting investment and financial market connectivity between the Middle East and Asia.
 
     On new products, the first Saudi Arabian Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) in Asia was listed on the HKEX in November 2023. As a milestone of financial collaboration between Hong Kong and Saudi Arabia, the ETF provides unique Middle East investment opportunities for regional and global investors.
 
     In face of the ever-developing international financial market landscape, we will continue to keep track of developments of the local and global Islamic financial markets as well as other emerging trends and opportunities, and map out the next steps as appropriate. read more