Criteria and Conditions for Applying for the School-Based Support Scheme (SBSS) Grant

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Criteria and Conditions for Applying for the School-Based Support Scheme (SBSS) Grant

Schools must ensure that the criteria and conditions as set out in Part A and Part B below are satisfied when applying for the SBSS Grant:

Part A

The child should satisfy the following criteria in order to be eligible for the SBSS Grant:

1. For Children Newly Arrived from the Mainland ^Note

(This refers to those children who had been living in the Mainland before studying in Hong Kong, irrespective of their places of birth and their current place of residence, for example, Type II children who were born in Hong Kong but had been living in the Mainland before they attended schools in Hong Kong.)

(a) the period between the date of first arrival in Hong Kong and the first day of attending the school is less than one year (the requirement of arrival less than one year); or (b) in the case of the child arrived in Hong Kong for more than one year, he/she should not

have attended any local school (including kindergarten) for more than one year prior to admission to the school (the requirement of schooling less than one year).

For children newly arrived from the Mainland holding the Form of Recognizance and there being no comments from the Hong Kong Immigration Department on allowing them to attend schooling in Hong Kong during the time that their cases are still under examination, their names should be entered on Form NAC-1 as other eligible NAC. However, schools are requested to find out their dates of arrival in Hong Kong before completing the Form.

2. For Non-Chinese Speaking (NCS) Children newly joining the local education system ^Note (a) the child has the right of abode in Hong Kong and is eligible for admission to public

sector schools; and

(b) the child satisfies either the requirement of arrival less than one year or the requirement of schooling less than one year.

3. For Returnee Children

(a) the child was born of parents who are permanent residents of Hong Kong and who have returned to settle in Hong Kong from other places; and

(b) the period between the date of returning to Hong Kong and the first day of attending the school is less than one year and he/ she has not studied in a local school for the past three years prior to admission to the school.

Note: Please refer to the EDB Circular No. 13/2021 dated 2 September 2021 on Entry of Non-local Children and Children Holding a Form of Recognizance to Schools in Hong Kong for details.

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Part B

Schools should also ensure that the following conditions are satisfied:

1. no previous claim of the SBSS Grant has been made in respect of the child;

2. the child’s first day of attending the school must fall within the period of 1 September 2020 to 31 August 2021 and the school has provided appropriate support services to the child; and 3. those who have attended the full-time Initiation Programme are not eligible for the SBSS

Grant.

September 2021

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Notes on how to complete the forms

Application forms and documents

1. Schools should complete and submit the following forms in order to apply for the SBSS Grant:

(a) Form NAC (2021) and

(b) Form NAC-1 (to be used to apply for the SBSS Grant for the 2020/21 school year), if applicable.

2. Copies of the required documents of the children, e.g. copies of Hong Kong birth certificate, Endorsement / Landing Slip on One-way Permit or passport showing the Date of Arrival by Hong Kong Immigration Department, parent declaration, etc. (whichever is applicable) should be serial-numbered in the same sequence as listed in Form NAC-1.

3. For a child who has arrived in Hong Kong for more than a year, schools should request his/ her parent to declare in writing the child’s latest date of arriving Hong Kong and that he/she has not attended any local school (including kindergarten) for more than one year prior to admission to the applicant school. The declaration should also be attached to Form NAC-1.

4. For “Children Newly Arrived from the Mainland” who were not born in the Mainland, schools should request his/her parent to declare in writing the child’s latest date of arriving Hong Kong and that he/she has been living (and receiving education, if applicable) in the Mainland after his/her birth and have not attended any local school (including kindergarten) for more than one year prior to admission to the applicant school. The declaration should also be attached to Form NAC-1.

5. For cross-boundary students (CBS) who were born in Hong Kong and are residing in the Mainland, schools should mark “Date of Arrival in H.K.” in Form NAC-1 as “Not Applicable (CBS)”, if the date is unavailable. For CBS who were born in the Mainland, schools should report “Date of Arrival in H.K.” with reference to information shown in the One-way Permit.

6. Completed forms for respective purposes, together with copies of the required documents, should be sent on or before 5 October 2021 by post or by hand to the Newly Arrived Children Support Unit, Education Bureau, at Room 1424, 14/F, Wu Chung House, 213 Queen’s Road East, Wan Chai, Hong Kong.

7. The rate of the SBSS Grant per pupil per annum has been adjusted from $3,904 to $3,931 at primary level and from $5,786 to $5,827 at secondary level for the 2021/22 school year.

8. Further enquiries regarding the SBSS Grant should be directed to Mr K W CHUNG at 2892 6188 or Mr Y W CHUI at 2892 6189 of the Newly Arrived Children Support Unit.

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Survey on Children from the Mainland Newly Admitted to Schools

9. Apart from collecting the personal data of students concerned for completion of Form NAC-1, schools are advised to refer also to the Survey on Children from the Mainland Newly Admitted to Schools (NAC Survey) which also collects the following information of those children newly arrived from the Mainland and entered Hong Kong by One-way Permit:

(i) the highest grade last attended in the Mainland and the corresponding school year; and (ii) the grade of first admission to school in Hong Kong and the first date of attending school

in Hong Kong.

For details, please refer to the separate letter from School Education Statistics Section which will be issued on 5 October 2021. Schools are advised to collect all required information from parents/guardians in one go so as to minimize workload of your school. For enquiries regarding the NAC Survey, please contact Ms LAW at 3509 8452 or Ms CHUNG at 3509 8443 of the School Education Statistics Section of the Education Bureau.

Student Information Management

10. Besides, at the beginning of each school year, the Education Bureau also collects student information of the Student Information Management System (STIMS). Schools are requested to submit relevant student information electronically via Web-based School Administration and Management System (WebSAMS) or an electronic form (eForm). For all students who arrive from the Mainland via the One-way Permit, schools should report their Date of Entry from Mainland. For details, schools may refer to the Guidelines for the STIMS and the separate letter on “STIMS for the 2021/22 School Year” issued by this Bureau on 24 August 2021.

September 2021

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Form NAC(2021)

School-Based Support Scheme (SBSS) Grant Summary of Application and Advance Payment

1. Applying for the SBSS Grant for the actual number of students concerned who were admitted in the 2020/21 school year.

I wish to apply for the SBSS Grant for a total of ______ students concerned in the 2020/21 school year. Their details are shown in the attached Form ‘NAC-1’which are correct to the best of my knowledge. I confirm that we have provided support services for these students.

2. Applying for advance payment for the 2021/22 school year

I wish to apply for the advance payment of the SBSS Grant for the 2021/22 school year.

It is estimated that my school will admit about ___________ children during the period of 1 September 2021 to 31 August 2022.

3. My school’s particulars are as follows:

Name of School : _________________________________________

School No. Location ID

0 0 0 School 2-Primary Session 1- AM

Level 3-Secondary 2- PM

3- WD

Signature of Supervisor^# ： __________________________________

Name of Supervisor^# ： __________________________________

Telephone No. ： __________________________________

Fax No. ： __________________________________

Date ： __________________________________

# For application from government schools, this form can be signed by the School Head.

School Chop G r a n t W e b s i t e

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限閱文件 / RESTRICTED

申請「校本支援計劃津貼」 (2020/21 年度)

Application for the School-Based Support Scheme Grant (2020/21 school year)

表格

FORM

NAC-1

第___頁，共___頁 Page___of ___

學校編號學校位置標識

0 0 0 ^授課時間 ^{1-上午校 AM}

School No. Location ID Session 2-下午校 PM

3-全日制 WD

(a) (b)

非華語兒童

回流兒童

(c) (d) (e)

(f) 入讀資料 Admission Information

(g)

到港日期(以單程證或護照上入境處蓋印為準) Date of Arrival in H.K.(Refer to the Immigration Dept’s date chop on the One-way Permit or the Passport)

註: 屬香港出生的跨境學生，請填「不適用 ( 跨境學生 ) 」

Note: For cross-boundary student born in Hong Kong, please fill in ”Not Applicable (CBS)”

(h) 香港出生請加

Please put a  for HK- born student

(i) 跨境學生請加

Please put a 

for cross- boundary

student NCS Returnee

請填

號數學生編號 ^P^lea

se fill in Please fill in

學生姓名性別出生日期入讀首天上課日期

No. Student Reference Number Name of Student Sex Date of Birth 班級

First Day of Attending

日月年

(STRN)

Level Day Month Year

N R 英文 (English) 中文 (Chinese) M/F 日/月/年 Admitted Applicant School (e.g. 1 4 0 9 2 0 2 0)

此表格供填寫十名學生資料，請填滿後才另開新頁。

This form is for entering particulars of ten students. It must be completely filled up before a new page is used.

學校名稱 Name of School ________________________________________________ 學校聯絡人姓名及職位 Name and Post of Contact Person of School 電話號碼 Telephone No. ________________________________________________ 傳真號碼 Fax No. _______________

限閱文件 / RESTRICTED

須填報 2020/21 學年所有兒童資料，包括曾申請預支津貼的兒童，但 不包括曾就讀全日制「啟動課程」的兒童。All information on children of the 2020/21 school year including those for whom the school has applied for the advance payment should be entered, but excluding those who have attended the full-time Initiation Programme.

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Administrative Arrangements for the School-Based Support Scheme (SBSS) Grant

I. Use of the SBSS Grant

1. It is important for schools to maintain a balanced use of the SBSS Grant and to ensure that children newly arrived from the Mainland, NCS children newly joining the local education system and returnee children with adjustment needs have the opportunity to benefit from the support services.

2. Schools are requested to spend:

(a) no less than 50% of the total amount of the SBSS Grant on helping:

(i) children newly arrived from the Mainland in learning English; and (ii) NCS children and returnee children in learning Chinese and/ or English.

(b) no less than 30% of the total amount of the SBSS Grant on helping children newly arrived from the Mainland, NCS children newly joining the local education system or returnee children, on personal development and social adaptation.

3. Please also ensure that the services are provided as soon as the students are admitted into the school. The following suggestions are not exhaustive:

(a) Conducting supplementary lessons

(i) Schools may arrange non-fee-charging supplementary lessons for children newly arrived from the Mainland, NCS children newly joining the local education system and returnee children outside normal school hours.

(ii) These supplementary lessons should be conducted by qualified teachers (e.g., holder of a teacher’s certificate/ a local degree or equivalent). The pay rates are to be decided by schools which may make reference to the current market rates or the daily rates of pay for supply teachers in public sector schools, adjusted to an hourly basis.

(iii) The breakdown of the rate of remuneration and the number of working hours for each part-time teacher should be reflected in the income and expenditure of the SBSS Grant Account.

(iv) Schools are required to keep relevant records of such supplementary classes (e.g.

attendance registers) for monitoring purposes.

(b) Organising orientation/ guidance programmes/ extra-curricular activities/ visits, etc.

(c) Any other expenditure (except food and drinks) incurred from providing support services to meet the needs of children newly arrived from the Mainland, NCS children newly joining the local education system and returnee children.

4. On the procurement of services and appointment of staff using the SBSS Grant, schools are required to comply strictly with relevant rules, regulations and statutory requirements in force, to avoid any conflict of interests. In this connection, schools may refer to the following prevailing EDB circulars:

Acceptance of Advantages and Donations by Schools and their Staff Procurement Procedures in Aided Schools

Appointment of Staff in Schools

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II. Accounting Arrangements

School should comply with the following accounting arrangements:

Government Schools

1. Accounting arrangement: Government schools should charge the expenditure to the user code assigned for “School-Based Support Scheme Grant-NAC”. Acquisition of goods or services, payment of invoices and reimbursement of expenses disbursed by officers should be dealt with in accordance with the existing Stores and Procurement Regulations, Financial and Accounting regulations, Standing Accounting Instructions and other relevant government-wide/ departmental circulars and rules issued from time to time. For employment of staff under the SBSS Grant, they should comply with the Bureau’s rules and regulations relating to hire of services and appointment of non-civil service contract staff. In respect of the latter, they should note the statutory duties of the Bureau as an employer under the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Ordinance (Cap. 485), and follow the Bureau's procedures for enrolment of relevant employees into the Mandatory Provident Fund Scheme.

2. Domains of Expanded SCBG: Under the Expanded Subject and Curriculum Block Grant (Expanded SCBG), the SBSS Grant has been classified as one of the school-specific grants which is of special nature and only applicable to selected schools with special circumstances.

3. Surplus retention: It is a constituent grant in the Expanded SCBG. Government schools are allowed to accumulate a surplus of up to 12 months’ provision of the Expanded SCBG as a whole for the year in which the grants are provided. Accumulated surplus balance in the Expanded SCBG in excess of 12 months’ provision of the prevailing level of the Expanded SCBG will lapse.

4. Deficit: No deficit should be allowed.

5. Release of the SBSS Grant: Allocation/adjustment of the SBSS Grant covering the first seven months’ provision (September to March) will be made in January of each school year and the provision for the remaining five months will be released in April of the same school year.

Aided Schools/ Caput Schools/ Schools under the Direct Subsidy Scheme (DSS Schools) 1. Accounting arrangement: All aided schools, caput schools and DSS schools should note

that they are required to keep a separate ledger account named “School-Based Support Scheme Grant Account” to properly reflect all the income and breakdown of expenditure chargeable to it. Schools are reminded to follow the relevant rules and regulations on procurement procedures as stipulated in EDB Circular No. 4/2013. When the SBSS Grant is used by schools for employment of staff, expenditures like contribution to provident fund and any other statutory benefits conferred by the Employment Ordinance should be met by the SBSS Grant. A proposed statement of the said account will be promulgated later for aided, caput and DSS schools in the relevant circular memorandum/ letter calling for the submission of the audited annual accounts. DSS schools should submit the statement of the said account to the Management Accounts Section of EDB, while aided and caput schools should submit it to the School Audit Section in accordance with the format to be promulgated in the relevant circular memorandum/letter.

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2. Surplus retention: For aided schools without an incorporated management committee (IMC), the SBSS Grant is included as one of the constituent grants under the Special Domain of the Operating Expenses Block Grant (OEBG). They must use the funds for the SBSS Grant for its specified purpose. The SBSS Grant is included as one of the constituent grants under the Expanded Operating Expenses Block Grant (EOEBG) for aided schools with an IMC.

Accumulated surplus balance in the OEBG/ EOEBG (excluding the funds set aside as outstanding commitment for the payment of Severance Payment/ Long Service Payment for staff) in excess of 12 months’ provision of the prevailing level of the OEBG/ EOEBG will be subject to claw back. They are requested to observe the details in the EDB Circular Memorandum No.111/2021. For caput schools/ DSS schools, although the OEBG is not applicable to these schools, the surplus retention ceiling for the SBSS Grant will also be 12 months of its provision and will be subject to claw back to be in line with aided schools 3. Deficit: For aided schools without an IMC, deficit may be topped up with surpluses from the

General Domain of OEBG. For aided schools with an IMC, schools should ensure that the total spending should be kept within the amount of provision of EOEBG and avoid deficits as far as possible. Any deficits arising in OEBG/ EOEBG should be borne by the school’s own funds. Schools should follow the arrangement for handling deficit as stated in EDB Circular Memorandum No.111/2021. For caput/ DSS schools, deficit should be absorbed by schools’ private funds and it should not be charged to the government subsidy.

4. Release of the SBSS Grant: For aided schools without an IMC, caput/ DSS schools, payment/ adjustment of the SBSS Grant will be made in January of each school year. Aided schools with an IMC should note that the SBSS Grant is one of the school specific grants under the EOEBG which will normally be released to schools on a quarterly basis in September, November, February and May. As it is impractical to determine the amount of the SBSS Grant before January of each year, 75% of the annual provision of the SBSS Grant will be released to those aided schools entitled to receive EOEBG in February of each school year. The remaining 25% will be released in May of the same school year. Adjustments of the SBSS Grant relating to previous school year(s) will be fully made to these schools in February of each school year.

III. Reporting

Schools should report the effectiveness of using the SBSS Grant to improve the learning and adaptation of NAC in the school annual report.

IV. Reference

The Efficiency Office (EffO) of the Government has published the “Guide to Corporate Governance for Subvented Organisations” (Second Edition) (the Guide). Schools can make reference to the Guide to map out effective governance practices to ensure proper use of public resources. The Guide can be downloaded from the EffO’s website (https://www.effo.gov.hk/en/reference/publication.html).

September 2021