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The following is a question by the Hon Yeung Yiu-chung and a reply by the Secretary for Education and Manpower, Professor Arthur K C Li, in the Legislative Council today (January 14):

Question:

It has been reported that some parents have recently complained about intermediaries, which provide overseas studies services, not meeting the advertised descriptions in that the students were sent to overseas educational institutions of inferior qualities, the courses they took were different from those they had applied for, and the host families neglected the students in residence, etc. In this regard, will the Government inform this Council:

(a) of the current number of intermediaries in Hong Kong providing overseas studies services to local students, and whether it knows the number of students who went overseas for further studies through these intermediaries in each of the past three years;

(b) of the respective numbers of complaints received by the Education and Manpower Bureau and the Consumer Council about the services of these intermediaries in each of the past three years; and

(c) how it regulates the services of the above intermediaries?

Reply:

Madam President,

(a) Most of the intermediaries provide overseas studies services on a commercial basis and are registered as commercial bodies. At present, the Government does not have statistics on the number of these intermediaries and the number of students studying abroad through the arrangement of these intermediaries.

(b) Up to the present, the Education and Manpower Bureau (EMB) has not received any complaints about the services of these intermediaries. It may be that members of the public are well aware that the complaints are not about education but are related to consumer interests. According to the Consumer Council, the numbers of complaints they received in the past three years were 10 in 2001, 14 in 2002 and 20 in 2003.

(c) Generally speaking, members of the public can seek the assistance of the Consumer Council if they have complaints about the goods and services they purchase. Upon receipt of a complaint, the Council will seek relevant information from the parties concerned to mediate and to help resolve the dispute. If the complaint involves a possible criminal case, the Council will refer it to the Police.

We believe that a great number of students do not arrange their overseas studies through the assistance of the intermediaries. At present, there are private and official or semi-official organisations providing services for overseas studies. Official and semi-official organisations include the Education Section of the Australian Consulate General in Hong Kong, the British Council, the Canadian Education Centre, the Institute of International Education (for studies in the USA) and the New Zealand Education Centre of the New Zealand Trade Development Board. These organisations mainly provide advisory services while a few also handle applications to individual institutions. As the government of the relevant countries regulates these organisations and they have been operating well, the Government does not propose to exercise additional control over them.

Regarding the services provided by the private intermediaries, since they are commercially oriented and we have legislation in place to regulate general commercial behaviour and to safeguard consumer interests, the Government will not consider imposing further regulatory measures. Moreover, EMB maintains close liaison with overseas government educational organisations stationed in Hong Kong to provide up-to-date information and tips about overseas studies to interested students, careers teachers and parents through the periodic issue of school circulars, leaflets, publications, its webpage and talks.

Ends/Wednesday, January 14, 2004

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