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The Education Bureau (EDB) announced today (February 19) that a land site and a vacant school premises are available for application under the Land Grant Scheme.
Details of the land site and vacant school premises are:
Site Site Area
Ex-Victoria Road Detention Centre site About 6 700
square metres
Vacant School Premises
Ex-premises of FDBWA About 5 500
Mrs Fung Ping Shan Primary School square metres
"The Government has been actively identifying suitable land sites and vacant school premises to facilitate the operation of quality self-financing full-time locally accredited post-secondary programmes by non-profit-making institutions," an EDB spokesman said.
"The self-financing post-secondary education sector plays an important role in broadening the opportunities and choices for further education. A more diversified post-secondary education sector will benefit school leavers and the community at large by providing quality, diversified and flexible study pathways with multiple entry and exit points," he added.
Non-profit-making education institutions are invited to apply for the ex-Victoria Road Detention Centre site at Mount Davis for operating self-financing full-time locally accredited degree programmes, and for the ex-premises of FDBWA Mrs Fung Ping Shan Primary School at Ma On Shan for reprovisioning a college operating in a sub-optimal environment for the operation of self-financing full-time, locally accredited programmes at sub-degree level or above in order to support enhancement of teaching quality and improve students' learning experience. Institutions applying for the land site or the vacant school premises may also apply for loans under the Start-up Loan Scheme for renovation. The deadline for application is May 3 this year.
All land and start-up loan applications will be considered by the independent Vetting Committee for the Allocation of Sites and Start-up Loan for Post-secondary Education Providers. The Committee, comprising mainly non-official members, will advise and make recommendations to the Secretary for Education.
"The ex-Victoria Road Detention Centre site will be granted to the successful applicant at nominal premium through Private Treaty Grant, while the ex-premises of FDBWA Mrs Fung Ping Shan Primary School will be leased to the successful applicant at nominal rent.
"As the buildings within the ex-Victoria Road Detention Centre site are Grade 3 historic buildings, preservation in some form would be desirable. The successful applicant for the site should observe and comply with the conservation guidelines and requirements to the satisfaction of the Antiquities and Monuments Office when developing and using the site," the spokesman said.
"The latest round of the Land Grant Scheme and the Start-up Loan Scheme will further enhance the learning environment of students and facilitate the diversification of the higher education sector. It also demonstrates the Government's strong commitment to support the healthy development of the self-financing sector," he added.
Further details can be found at the Information Portal for Accredited Post-secondary Programmes (iPASS) at
www.ipass.gov.hk/edb/index.php/en/home/support_insti.
Ends/Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Issued at HKT 15:03
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