PTU News Reporter

When the number of publicly-funded university places is still seriously insufficient, the Education Bureau has still announced the launch of Hong Kong Scholarship for Excellence Scheme (HKSES), a scholarship for supporting outstanding local students in pursuing studies in world renowned universities outside Hong Kong, with a funding commitment of nearly $350 million, proposed in the Policy Address of this year. The funding for each student can now reach $450 thousand the maximum, with initially up to 100 students per cohort. In our opinion, the Authority should make good use of any financial surplus to increase the number of publicly-funded local university places, since ten thousands of HKDSE students with recognized qualification cannot be admitted to the post-secondary institutions each year. Now what the government does is never a top priority but only one more opportunity for the outstanding students.

Applications for the new HKSES will be open for three cohorts of undergraduate and post-graduate students, with initially up to 100 students per cohort, starting from the 2015/16 academic year. All scheme awardees will receive a non-means-tested scholarship to cover their tuition fees, subject to a ceiling of $250,000 per student per year. In addition, a means-tested bursary will be granted to students who may need additional support to pursue their study, subject to a ceiling of HK$200,000 per student per annum. Awardees would be required to complete the program and agree to return to Hong Kong after graduation to work for at least two years. Awardees should likely be required to return the scholarship if they cannot complete the program or do not return to HK to work for two years with no convincing justification.
A steering committee will be set up for the selection process. While there is no limitation on the disciplines of study, priority will be given to programs that are conducive to building up Hong Kong long-term competitiveness, in particular those not available in Hong Kong, like veterinary studies, forestry, oceanography or film studies, will be prioritized. And when assessing the choices of universities/programs, reference will be made to the top 100 universities/institutions. …… 閱讀全文 →

在資助大學學額仍然嚴重不足的情況下，今年《施政報告》建議撥款3.5億元成立獎學金，資助本地傑出學生赴境外升讀知名大學。教育局近日公布細節，每名申請者可領取的獎學金金額每年最高可達45萬元，人數上限100人。教協會認為，現時每年有過萬名合資格的文憑試畢業生未能入讀資助大學學額，政府若有額外資源，理應先增加學額，而非反行其道，優先為尖子「錦上添花」。

這個獎學金，由下學年起將資助合共3屆入讀學士或研究院課程的學生，升讀海外知名大學，每年最多一百人，每人每年最多可獲25萬港元獎學金及20萬元助學金，畢業後須回港工作最少兩年；獲獎人若無法完成課程，或不按承諾回港工作而沒合理原因，須因應情況歸還獎學金。 …… 閱讀全文 →

政府委任的免費幼稚園教育委員會，明年4月將會提交報告書，列出15年免費教育的落實方法。不少幼師同工表示，近日報道指政府有意推行幼師薪酬一筆過撥款，不理解其內容和影響，因此，我們再以簡單的答問，希望有助幼師們理解可能面對的處境。

問： 我們一直爭取的幼師薪級表，政府已表明會做，為甚麼還說沒有保障呢？

答： 因為，政府承諾制訂薪級表，卻無意跟隨中、小學機制，按薪級表向教師直接支薪，而是將撥款一筆過給學校，由學校自訂教師薪酬。由於薪級表只作參考，學校毋須一定跟隨，政府只確保校長、主任和教師等，獲得不低於其職級的起薪點。換言之，幼教同工將不會如中小學編制教師，可根據薪級表按年增薪，轉校更隨時跌回起薪點，無專業保障可言。

問： 甚麼是一筆過撥款？這種資助模式，與現時資助中、小學有甚麼不同？

答： 現時資助中、小學撥款包括：經常性津貼（如教學、水電等基本開支）、非經常性津貼（例如大型維修），及指定用途的專項津貼（例如融合教育）。但教師薪酬則由政府按薪級表向教師直接支薪，學校按核准編制聘請的教師一般為「常額教師」，其聘任條件及解聘程序均受〈資助則例〉保障，這比〈僱傭條例〉保障較好。

至於一筆過撥款，就是將基本營運開支及教師薪酬，以一筆過撥款形式，交學校自行運用。教師以合約形式聘任，沒有劃一薪酬及聘任條件，不受〈資助則例〉保障。 …… 閱讀全文 →