Session 21 EDB - page 28 Examination of Estimates of Expenditure 2017-18
CONTROLLING OFFICER’S REPLY
(Question Serial No. 0119)
Head: (156) Government Secretariat: Education Bureau Subhead (No. & title): (000) Operational expenses
Programme: (6) Other Educational Services and Subsidies
Controlling Officer: Permanent Secretary for Education (Mrs Marion LAI) Director of Bureau: Secretary for Education
Question:
(1) What were the respective numbers of school-age ethnic minority (EM) students including Indonesian, Filipino, Indian, Pakistani, Nepalese, Thai and other Asian in secondary schools, primary schools and kindergartens from the 2014/15 to 2016/17 school years?
(2) What were the respective numbers of EM students with junior secondary education level and their respective percentages among school-age EM students from the 2014/15 to 2016/17 school years?
(3) What were the respective numbers of EM students with senior secondary education level and their respective percentages among school-age EM students from the 2014/15 to 2016/17 school years?
(4) What were the respective numbers of EM students who completed programmes offered by the University Grants Committee-funded institutions and their respective percentages among school-age EM students from the 2014/15 to 2016/17 school years?
(5) What measures will be implemented by the Administration to help EM students in their studies and increase their chances to pursue studies in tertiary institutions?
Asked by: Hon CHAN Tanya (Member Question No. 60) Reply:
(1) In general, children in the age groups of 3-5, 6-11 and 12-17 are considered to be “school-age”
children for kindergartens, primary and secondary schools respectively. Based on the data collected by the Census and Statistics Department in the 2011 Population Census, which is the latest Census information available at the moment, the number of ethnic minority children by ethnicity as asked in these three “school-age” groups is tabulated at Annex A. Given that the population census is conducted every 10 years with a by-census in the middle of the intercensal period, relevant data on a school-year basis are not available.
(2)&(3) For the planning of education support measures, students whose spoken language at home is not Chinese are broadly categorised as non-Chinese speaking (NCS) students. The number of NCS students studying at junior secondary and senior secondary levels in public sector and Direct Subsidy Scheme schools from the 2014/15 to 2016/17 school years is tabulated at Annex B. We do not have readily available information about the number of NCS students in private, English Schools Foundation schools and other international schools, and hence the total number of ethnic minority
Reply Serial No.
Session 21 EDB - page 29 students studying at secondary levels and respective percentage among school-age ethnic minority students are not available.
(4) According to the University Grants Committee (UGC), they do not collect statistics on ethnic minority or NCS students who have completed the programmes offered by the UGC-funded universities.
However, UGC has collected the number of local NCS students (i.e. students whose ethnicity and/or spoken language at home is not Chinese) admitted to the UGC-funded undergraduate programmes.
The total number of local NCS students admitted was 226, 220 and 265 (provisional) in the 2014/15, 2015/16 and 2016/17 academic years respectively.
(5) The Education Bureau (EDB) has, starting from the 2014/15 school year, allocated about $200 million per year to step up the education support for NCS students to facilitate their effective learning of the Chinese language and the creation of an inclusive learning environment in schools. Specifically, the
“Chinese Language Curriculum Second Language Learning Framework” (“Learning Framework”) with supporting learning and teaching materials has been implemented in primary and secondary schools since the 2014/15 school year to help NCS students learn Chinese as a second language with a view to bridging over to mainstream Chinese Language classes. Besides, Applied Learning Chinese (for NCS students) courses pegged at the Qualifications Framework Levels 1 to 3 have been provided starting from the 2014/15 school year for NCS students with different aspirations at senior secondary levels to articulate under the multiple pathways. To facilitate implementation of the “Learning Framework”, schools admitting 10 or more NCS students are provided with the enhanced funding ranging from $800,000 to $1,500,000 per year depending on the number of NCS students to adopt diversified intensive learning and teaching modes as appropriate such as pull-out teaching, split-class / group learning, after-school consolidation, etc. with a view to helping NCS students bridge over to mainstream Chinese Language classes as early as possible. As regards schools admitting a handful (i.e. 1 to 9) of NCS students, their NCS students can benefit from the immersed Chinese language environment of the school as well as the “Learning Framework”. From the 2014/15 school year, they may apply for an additional funding of $50,000 on a need basis to offer after-school support programmes in learning Chinese to consolidate what their NCS students have learnt in classes. Other complementary measures including progressively advanced professional development programmes for teachers and enhanced school-based professional support services with diversified modes will continue.
Developed from the perspective of second language learners, the “Learning Framework” provides teachers with a systematic set of learning targets, learning objectives and expected learning outcome arranged in “small” steps at different learning stages according to individual learners’ needs. NCS students are expected to make steady progress with a view to bridging over to mainstream Chinese Language classes. When the enhanced education support for NCS students mentioned above takes root and sustains, it is expected that more NCS students would pursue studies in tertiary institutions.
Session 21 EDB - page 30 Annex A Number of ethnic minority children
in the age groups of 3 to 5, 6 to 11 and 12 to 17 in 2011
Age group
Number of ethnicity minority children
Total Indonesian Filipino Indian Pakistani Nepalese Thai Other
Asian
3 – 5 18 458 852 1 165 588 18 760 3 859
6 – 11 24 1 092 2 294 3 060 1 340 144 1 462 9 416
12 – 17 97 1 242 1 532 1 738 924 168 1 224 6 925
3 – 17 139 2 792 4 678 5 963 2 852 330 3 446 20 200
Note:
The above figures cover only ethnic minority children of ethnicity as asked in the age groups of 3 to 17, based on the data collected by the Census and Statistics Department in the 2011 Population Census.
Session 21 EDB - page 31 Annex B
Number of non-Chinese speaking students studying at junior secondary and senior secondary levels
from the 2014/15 to 2016/17 school years
Level 2014/15
school year
2015/16 school year
2016/17 school year Junior Secondary
(Secondary 1 – 3) 4 530 4 734 4 804
Senior Secondary
(Secondary 4 – 6) 3 694 4 048 4 167
Notes:
1. Figures refer to the position as at September of the respective school years.
2. The above data cover those students whose ethnicity is Chinese but who are non-Chinese speaking based on the spoken language at home.
3. Figures cover students studying in public sector and Direct Subsidy Scheme secondary schools.
Figures do not include special schools.
- End -
Session 21 EDB - page 32 Examination of Estimates of Expenditure 2017-18
CONTROLLING OFFICER’S REPLY
(Question Serial No. 0120)
Head: (156) Government Secretariat: Education Bureau Subhead (No. & title): (000) Operational expenses
Programme: (3) Primary Education, (4) Secondary Education, (6) Other Educational Services and Subsidies, (8) Policy and Support
Controlling Officer: Permanent Secretary for Education (Mrs Marion LAI) Director of Bureau: Secretary for Education
Question:
Regarding the improvement of the teaching and learning environment of public sector schools, please provide the following information:
1. Please list the numbers of primary and secondary schools that were operated in school premises considered as sub-standard according to the prevailing standards in each of the past 3 years.
2. Please list the numbers of schools which applied for the School Improvement Programme, reprovisioning programme, redevelopment programme and minor improvement projects in each of the past 3 years. What were the staffing and expenditures involved in each of the above programmes?
3. Please list, by district council district, the numbers of schools that had yet to receive approval for the above programmes in the past 1 year and give the reasons.
4. In the 2017/18, what will be the Government’s measures to facilitate the improvement of school premises of public sector schools? What is the estimated expenditure?
Asked by: Hon CHAN Tanya (Member Question No. 61) Reply:
1. At present, there are about 850 ordinary public sector primary and secondary school premises built in different periods in accordance with the standards at the time of construction, which cover various facilities and have been changing over the years. Nevertheless, existing school premises in operation are required to comply with prevailing statutory requirements. As at February 2017, over 200 of them were built according to prevailing standards.
Among the schools built in different periods, cuboidal shaped school premises were constructed between mid-1960s and 1980 at public housing estates for primary school use. These school premises are often referred to as “matchbox-style school premises” and considered as “sub-standard” school premises as compared with the newly built school premises and prevailing standards. At present, 28 public sector primary schools are operating in such premises and two of them have been allocated with new school premises for reprovisioning.
2. and 3. Over the years, the Education Bureau (EDB) has put in place various measures to enhance the facilities of school premises according to the needs of the schools, so as to improve their teaching and learning environment. These measures mainly include the School Improvement Programme (SIP)