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The following is issued on behalf of the Quality Education Fund Steering Committee:
Today (April 16), the Quality Education Fund (QEF) introduces new priority themes and simplified rules for QEF applications after reviewing the applications and mode of operation in the 2006/07 school year. The measures will further promote innovative projects to enhance the quality of education.
The existing project types and new themes are combined and re-classified into 11 priority themes for application. Mr Pang Yiu-kai, Chairman of the Quality Education Fund Steering Committee, said, "The QEF will introduce five new priority themes for application, namely, 'Effective Learning', 'National Education', 'Creative Arts Education', 'Healthy Campus' and 'Supporting Youth Development'. The new priority themes are introduced to proactively respond to society's expectations on the promotion of national education, creativity education and healthy growth of the young generation."
The six existing priority themes, namely, "Support for the New Senior Secondary Education Reform", "Moral and Civic Education", "Care for Pre-primary Children", "Wellness Programmes for Teachers", "Review of School Administrative Work" and "Use of New Technology for School Administrative Work" will continue to be open for application.
Apart from the above priority themes, applicants can apply to undertake innovative projects that meet the needs of schools or enhance the quality of school education. Moreover, to encourage needy students to participate in the learning activities of approved QEF projects, such students can receive full or partial sponsorship from the QEF.
Details of the changes in application rules can be found on the QEF website (http://qef.org.hk/). A series of briefing sessions will also be organised from end April to May 2008 to familiarise potential applicants with the new measures.
For the result of applications made in the 2006/07 school year, Mr Pang said, "The Quality Education Fund has received 731 applications in the 2006/07 school year and approved grants amounting to around $124.7 million for 574 applications." The approved applications include 292 made under the Fund's designated themes and 282 on enhancement of information technology infrastructure. The grants approved range from about $18,200 to $3,455,200 in this school year.
The QEF was established in 1998 with capital of $5 billion to support community initiatives that promote quality education in Hong Kong. Since its establishment, the Fund has supported around 7,000 applications with grants amounting to around $3.47 billion. The balance of the Fund at the end of February 2008 was about $6.5 billion. On its 10th anniversary, the Fund will organise a series of sharing and remembrance activities such as the QEF Projects Exposition 2008 and the Outstanding Project Awards.
Ends/Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Issued at HKT 14:01
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