*************************************************

Following is a speech by the Secretary for Education and Manpower, Mrs Fanny Law, in moving the second reading of the Post Secondary Colleges (Amendment) Bill 2001 in the Legislative Council today (June 6):

Madam President,

I move that the Post Secondary Colleges (Amendment) Bill 2001 be read the second time.

The Bill seeks to enable a post-secondary college registered under the Post Secondary Colleges Ordinance to award degrees, subject to the prior approval of the Chief Executive in Council.

The Hong Kong Shue Yan College is currently the only post-secondary college registered under the Ordinance. The proposed amendments, if enacted, will enable Shue Yan College to offer four degree programmes starting from September this year. The Chief Executive in Council has approved in-principle that Shue Yan College may award these degrees, subject to programme validation by the Hong Kong Council for Academic Accreditation.

Shue Yan College has a vision to become a local private university. The attainment of degree-awarding status is a major step towards this goal. I commend the Bill to Members and hope that it will be passed within the current legislative session so that Shue Yan College can launch the degree programmes in September this year.

End/Wednesday, June 6, 2001

NNNN