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LCQ20: Establishment of incorporated management committees
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     Following is a question by the Hon Cheung Man-kwong and a written reply by the Secretary for Education, Mr Michael Suen, in the Legislative Council today (October 22):

Question:

     During the resumption of the Second Reading debate on the Education (Amendment) Bill 2002 in July 2004, the then Secretary for Education and Manpower undertook that upon the passage of the Bill, the Government would closely monitor the implementation of the Ordinance; if loopholes or deficiencies in the provisions of the Ordinance causing major implementation difficulties were identified, the Government would take the initiative to propose amendments to the relevant provisions for improvement.  The Legislative Council could, when necessary, pass a resolution to extend the deadline for the establishment of incorporated management committees ("IMCs") in aided schools by two years.  In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(a) of the names, number and percentage of schools which have established IMCs, as well as those applying and those which have yet to apply for the establishment of IMCs, with a breakdown by school type and school sponsoring body ("SSB");

(b) whether the authorities have taken the initiative to contact those SSBs which have raised objection to the establishment of IMCs with a view to seeking better solutions;

(c) whether it has assessed the number of aided schools which will not submit by July 1, 2009 the relevant papers for the establishment of IMCs;

(d) of the progress and specific details of the review on the implementation of the above Ordinance; when the report of the review will be made available to this Council and the public so that this Council and the Government may consider whether it is necessary to propose the above-mentioned resolution or amendments to the provisions of the Ordinance; and

(e) whether the Government will move a resolution to extend the deadline for the establishment of IMCs in aided schools by two years; the rationale for making such decision; and whether the Government supports Members of this Council to move the relevant resolution so as to ease any possible conflicts arising from the implementation of the Ordinance?

Reply:

President,

(a) As at October 20, 2008, 374 aided schools operated by 135 school sponsoring bodies ("SSBs") have established incorporated management committees ("IMCs"), accounting for 43% of all aided schools.  Each of these SSBs operates 1 to 32 schools with IMCs.  61 schools (7%) have submitted or undertaken to submit applications, while 436 schools (50%) have yet to apply for the establishment of IMCs.

     A list of schools which have established IMCs, as well as those applying (including those which have submitted or undertaken to submit applications) and those which have yet to apply for the establishment of IMCs is at Annex I.

     A breakdown by SSB and school type of the number of schools which have established IMCs, as well as those applying (including those which have submitted or undertaken to submit applications) and those which have yet to apply for the establishment of IMCs is at Annex II(a) & Annex II(b).

(b) Since the IMC provisions of the Education Ordinance came into effect, the Education Bureau ("EDB") has been actively contacting SSBs and aided schools to provide them with appropriate support, including holding meetings with SSBs with dissenting views to discuss the establishment of IMCs in their schools with a view to identifying feasible solutions.

(c) The EDB has written to all SSBs for information on the establishment of IMCs in their schools, including tentative implementation timetables.  Following receipt of their returns, an analysis will be conducted.  We will continue to support and help those schools which have not yet established IMCs.

(d) In 2005, the EDB engaged a professional consultant to conduct a three-year review study on the implementation of IMCs, covering the three school years from 2005/06 to 2007/08.  The objectives of the study are:

(i) to assess the operation of IMCs and collect examples of best practice;

(ii) to review the support measures provided by the EDB to see if there is a need for further support; and

(iii) to review the implementation of school-based management in IMC schools.

     The review is in its final stage, and the report is expected to be completed by the end of this year.  The EDB will brief the Panel on Education of the Legislative Council on the report and take follow-up actions as appropriate in the light of the recommendations of the report.  The report will also be uploaded onto EDB's website.

(e) The Government will assess the situation, including the operation of schools and the recommendations of the study report, and consider whether to move a resolution to extend by two years the deadline for submitting draft IMC constitutions by aided schools.  EDB will brief the Panel on Education on our decision in due course.

Ends/Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Issued at HKT 14:34

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