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Following is a question by the Hon Tam Yiu-chung on behalf of the Hon Jasper Tsang Yok-sing and a reply by the Secretary for Education and Manpower, Professor Arthur K C Li, in the Legislative Council today (November 22):
Question:
Regarding the supply and demand of student hostel places at various universities, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) whether it knows the current situation regarding the supply and demand of student hostels at various universities; if there is a shortfall, of the short-term relief measures the Government will take;
(b) of the projects for construction of university student hostels, which have already been allocated funds for implementation or are under planning at present; and the anticipated supply and demand of student hostel places at various universities upon completion of such hostels; and
(c) whether it knows if universities have encountered any difficulties in identifying suitable sites for construction of student hostels; if there are difficulties, how the Government assists universities in terms of land planning and coordination among the government departments concerned, etc?
Reply:
Madam President,
(a) Based on the existing criteria for calculating the level of publicly-funded student hostel provision as approved by the Executive Council in 1996, by the 2007/08 academic year, the University Grants Committee (UGC)-funded sector should be provided with about 27,700 publicly-funded hostel places. As there are currently about 21,400 publicly-funded student hostel places, the UGC-funded sector will thus have a shortfall of about 6,300 publicly-funded hostel places by the 2007/08 academic year.
We are mindful of the keen demand for hostels from local and non-local students; but in view of the lead time required for planning and executing hostel projects, the Government has been encouraging the institutions to make the best use of their existing stock of student hostels and to explore imaginatively other possible options to meet students' (including non-local students') increasing demand for hostels. For example, the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) have entered into collaboration arrangements with the Hong Kong Institute of Education (HKIEd) whereby students of CUHK and PolyU will be able to take up HKIEd's student hostels and be provided with shuttle services transporting them to and from campuses. Meanwhile, some institutions are considering other short-term relief measures, such as temporary conversion of some existing hostel units so as to accommodate more students.
Furthermore, the Administration has, on top of what is being provided under the established policy, provided the UGC-funded sector with an additional 1,840 publicly-funded student hostel places to cater for the accommodation needs of non-local and exchange students. The UGC has already allocated these places to the institutions, and the institutions are in the process of drawing up their student hostel projects.
(b) To address the hostel shortfall, the Administration has earmarked funding for the following three new hostel projects:
(1) The University of Hong Kong's student hostel project at Lung Wah Street (providing 1800 student hostel places);
(2) The City University of Hong Kong's Phase 4 student hostel project within campus (providing 700 places); and
(3) CUHK's student hostel project within campus (providing 1500 places including 81 which are privately-funded places).
Subject to the funding approval of the Finance Committee (FC) of the Legislative Council, these three projects will altogether provide about 4,000 additional publicly-funded student hostel places.
In addition, we understand that both PolyU and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology have recently submitted their hostel project proposals to the UGC for consideration. The two projects involve the construction of a total of about 2,400 publicly-funded hostel places.
Subject to funding approval, the UGC-funded sector will, upon completion of the above five hostel projects and together with those places currently available as mentioned in Part (1) above, provide a total of about 27,800 publicly-funded student hostel places and thus be able to meet the existing shortfall.
This notwithstanding, the implementation of the 4-year undergraduate curriculum from the 2012/13 academic year onwards will lead to an increase in the student number of the UGC-funded sector and hence the demand for hostels (it is estimated that an additional 2,200 publicly-funded hostel places will be required). In fact, any increase in the student population (e.g. increasing the admission of non-local students) in the UGC-funded institutions will increase the demand for hostel places under the established policy.
(c) In view of the high population density and the limited supply of land in Hong Kong, some institutions, particularly those located in the urban area, have experienced some difficulties in identifying and/or securing suitable sites for hostel development.
Generally speaking, institutions are encouraged to, wherever possible, identify suitable sites within campus for hostel development, or to redevelop existing campus buildings/facilities into hostels so as to maximise the development and utilisation of their own land. If institutions have genuine need to develop hostels or other facilities outside campus and if their requests for additional land are supported by the UGC and the Administration, the Administration will follow established mechanisms to help institutions identify land and grant them the land required. Such mechanisms have proved to be effective in helping institutions to overcome their problems. If any institution encounters difficulties in the process, they may approach the bureaux/departments concerned which stand ready to render them assistance.
Ends/Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Issued at HKT 11:58
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