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    Following is a question by the Hon Cheung Man-kwong and a written reply by the Secretary for Education and Manpower, Professor Arthur K C Li, in the Legislative Council today (February 23):

Question :

    Will the Government inform this Council whether it is aware of the following about various public-funded post-secondary institutions:

(a) the number of places in teacher training courses provided or to be provided each year between this school year and the 2007/08 school year for pre-service and in-service teachers respectively, with a breakdown by:

(i) whether the courses are/will be provided for teachers of secondary schools, primary schools, kindergartens (or child care centres) respectively;

(ii) the qualifications obtained upon completion of the courses (such as Bachelor's Degrees, Post-graduate Diploma in Education or Certificate in Education (Early Childhood Education));

(iii) the number of places of refresher courses for in-service teachers, other than those set out in item (ii) above; and

(iv) the modes of attendance (such as full-time, part-time or bridging courses); and

(b) the rationale adopted for determining the number of places for the above courses each year?

Reply :

Madam President,

(a) The number of approved student intake places to teacher education programmes at secondary and primary levels as funded by the University Grants Committee (UGC), counted in full-time equivalent (fte) term, from 2004/05 to 2007/08 academic years are set out in the table at Annex A.

    The number of student intake places to teacher education programmes for early childhood education as funded by UGC and the Vocational Training Council (VTC), expressed in headcounts (hc) term, from 2004/05 to 2007/08 academic years are set out in the table at Annex B.

    The figures for 2005/06 to 2007/08 academic years are subject to the funding approval from the Legislative Council on the overall funding to the UGC-funded institutions during the 2005/06 to 2007/08 triennium.

(b) The determination of the number of pre-service training places in each academic year is based primarily on the projected supply and demand of teachers in the relevant key learning area/ school level, taking into account the estimated wastage of existing teachers, creation of new posts as necessitated by new policy initiatives and demand for teachers in the respective key learning areas. The determination of the number of in-service places is based on the number of untrained serving teachers in the respective school level, taking into account the estimated number of new teachers who enter the profession without teacher training each year as well as Government's commitment to upgrade teachers' qualification and professionalism. As regards training places in the pre-primary sector, the Government has pledged to provide adequate subsidised training places to achieve its policy target of upgrading kindergarten teachers' and principals' qualification. The number of training places allocated may vary according to the progress of the policy targets. Hence, the in-service Qualified Kindergarten Teacher training places will no longer be in need following the achievement of the set policy target for kindergarten teachers in 2004/2005 school year; and the number of in-service Certificate in Early Childhood Education training places will be reduced upon the completion of the set policy target for kindergarten principals by 2005/2006 school year.

Ends/Wednesday, February 23, 2005

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