Approved List of Fines/Charges/Fees for Specific Purposes in Aided and Caput Schools
The Permanent Secretary for Education has given blanket approval for aided and caput schools to collect fines, charges and fees for specific purposes from students in ways as detailed in and subject to the requirements below.
Items
Approved ceilings
(effective from the 2012/13 school year and subject to revision)
1. Entrance examination fee $50
2. Replacement of student card $10 per copy 3. Replacement of graduation certificate $25 per copy 4. Transcript (second copy) $25 per copy
5. Locker deposit $10 per student
(to be refunded to student on leaving school)
6. Fine for serious damage to or loss of library book
The original cost of the book plus 20%
for handling charges
7. Fine for overdue library book The rate imposed by Public Library 8. Replacement charge for loss of
library card
- ditto - 9. Breakage and damage of science
equipment
$50 per item 10. Breakage of school property
other than science equipment
$50 for individual student
$100 for the whole class responsible 11. Wilful damage to school property The full cost of repair/ replacement of
the item
12. Stored-value photocopying card $25 deposit per card
(unused value to be refunded to student) 13. Charges for non-standard items (See
para 8 below)
$310 in total per student per annum
Note: The approved ceilings as listed above will be reviewed as and when necessary. Please refer to the following EDB homepage for the most up-to-date information:
https://www.edb.gov.hk/en/student-parents/sch-info/fees-charges-in-sch/aided-sch/index.html
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Requirements in connection with the collection of the above fines/charges/fees for specific purposes
1. Aided and caput schools are required to conspicuously exhibit this approval together with the Fees Certificate issued by the Education Bureau (EDB) at a prominent and accessible position in the school premises in accordance with regulation 61(1) of the Education Regulations.
2. For collections of fines, charges and fees for specific purposes exceeding the approved ceilings above, schools without Incorporated Management Committees (IMC), are required to seek the prior approval of the Permanent Secretary for Education. Such approval shall also be conspicuously exhibited together with the Fees Certificate issued by the EDB at a prominent and accessible position in the school premises.
3. For schools with IMC, they have to seek their IMC’s approval upon the express consent of the majority of parents for collections of fines, charges and fees for specific purposes exceeding the approved ceilings above. Such approval shall also be conspicuously exhibited together with the Fees Certificate issued by the EDB at a prominent and accessible position in the school premises.
4. Entrance examination fees should not be collected from students allocated to schools through the school places allocation systems (including students admitted by discretionary places admission) or placement assistance of Regional Education Offices.
5. To enhance transparency, schools are required to inform parents of the fees and charges to be collected from students and list out the purposes of such collections.
6. The collection of fees by schools without IMC shall be forthwith acknowledged in writing by the supervisor, manager or teacher on a proper form of receipt. For schools with IMC, they are required to issue official receipts should students/parents make such requests.
7. Schools are required to keep proper accounts of the fees collected. All collections must be credited to the Subscription (Tong Fai) / General Funds / Capital Reserve Fund Account except item 13.
8. For item 13 above, all schools should fulfill the following requirements:
a. Schools should consult the parents on the proposed collections in advance, with details of the charges, preferably at the beginning of the school year;
b. If the majority of parents object to the proposal in the course of consultation, schools should withdraw the proposal. SMC/IMC should examine parents’
concern, re-assess the needs of the schools and review the proposal before putting forward a new proposal for parents’ consultation again;
c. Schools should issue a list of all agreed collections with details to all
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parents, and display the list at a prominent place in schools;
d. Schools are advised not to collect such charges from needy parents;
e. At the end of the school year, schools should send a financial statement to all parents, informing them of how the collections have been spent;
f. Schools should keep a separate ledger account to record all income and expenditure pertaining to such collections, and upon request produce it for EDB’s inspection;
g. Schools should include a separate statement in the annual audited financial statement of accounts, showing all the income and expenditure relating to such collections; and
h. Schools may devise further procedures governing the collections.
9. Schools should refer to regulations 61 to 67 of the Education Regulations, Section 6 of the School Administration Guide, the Guide to Financial Management for Aided Schools Operated by Incorporated Management Committees and relevant Codes of Aid to ensure compliance with the necessary requirements.
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