Education minister: Hong Kong institutions don’t need bureau approval to offer sub-degree programmes or adjust fees
Reply given to legislature as figures show more places were cut than added this academic year
Self-financing higher education institutions opened 44 new sub-degree programmes but shuttered 77 existing ones in the just-begun academic year.
In a written reply to lawmaker Kenneth Chan’s question regarding the impact of reducing the number of sub-degree programmes, education minister Eddie Ng Hak-kim said self-financing institutions had autonomy to decide whether to launch new programmes or discontinue them according to factors like market demand and student enrolment.
Education Bureau statistics indicated that 3,628 sub-degree places were cut in the present 2015-2016 academic year, while 2,028 new places in new programmes were added.
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The trend was expected to continue in the following academic year: 34 new sub-degree programmes offering 1,270 spaces were to be available, but 40 existing programmes with 2,038 places were to cease.
“Self-financing post-secondary institutions have autonomy in the provision of sub-degree programmes and are not required to seek approval from the Education Bureau for offering new programmes or adjusting their tuition fees,” wrote Ng in the reply.
But he said the bureau had “repeatedly reminded” institutions to take into account local manpower needs in planning their programmes.
Sub-degree programmes such as associate degrees have long stirred controversy over their effectiveness in helping young people improve their employability by offering an alternative route to going to university. Debates have centred on their accreditation and relatively high tuition fees.
