**************************************************
Following is a question by Dr Hon David Li and a written reply by the Secretary for Education, Mr Michael Suen, in the Legislative Council today (January 30):
Question:
Will the Government inform this Council:
(a) whether it knows the number of Hong Kong students currently studying on the Mainland on a full-time or part-time basis, and among them, the number of those who had received scholarships, grants or loan-guarantees from public or private sources; and
(b) whether the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government offices on the Mainland provide counselling or advisory services or any other support to Hong Kong students studying on the Mainland; if so, of the number of students receiving such forms of support provided by the above offices last year?
Reply:
Madam President,
(a) The Administration does not maintain records of the number of Hong Kong students currently studying in the Mainland on a full-time or part-time basis. Nevertheless, according to the 2006 Population By-census conducted by the Census and Statistics Department, there were about 22 900 Hong Kong residents studying full-time courses in the Mainland, and about 18 700 of them were Hong Kong Permanent Residents. Among the Hong Kong Permanent Residents, about 9 600 of them were aged 16 or above, mostly studying post-secondary courses; the remaining 9 100 were aged below 16, mostly studying courses at secondary level or below. We do not have statistics or maintain records of the number of Hong Kong residents studying part-time courses in the Mainland.
The scholarships, grants or loan schemes funded by the Administration are only offered to students pursuing local courses. The Student Financial Assistance Agency (SFAA) also provides administrative support to certain privately funded student financial assistance schemes. According to SFAA's records, currently no student receiving such assistance is studying in the Mainland.
(b) The HKSAR Government's Offices in the Mainland endeavour to maintain contact with Hong Kong students studying in the Mainland through regular liaison and other activities, informing them of the latest development and information of Hong Kong, for instance the conduct of civil service recruitment exercises. In addition, individual Mainland Offices had received general enquiries regarding plans for pursuing courses in specific institutions, and had provided the enquirers with contact information of the relevant institutions to facilitate their direct approach to such institutions. We do not maintain statistics in respect of the above services.
Hong Kong residents in the Mainland, including Hong Kong students studying in the Mainland, may contact the HKSAR Government's Offices in the Mainland if assistance is required in the event of difficulties. The relevant Offices will endeavour to render possible assistance having regard to the specific circumstances of individual cases.
Ends/Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Issued at HKT 15:43
NNNN
