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Two-thirds of Hong Kong’s private universities failed to meet 2020 enrollment targets, often poorly
More than two-thirds of Hong Kong’s private tertiary institutions failed to meet their enrollment targets this year amid a continuing decline in the number of students dropping out of high school, with one reaching just 10 percent of its target. and another attracted no new registrations at all. The latest figures from the Office of Education show that among the city’s 28 self-funded universities, which primarily serve those whose test scores do not allow them to enter public universities, at least 19 were unable to meet expected 2020 enrollments. Industry representatives said that aside from a drop in Hong Kong’s student population, the double whammy of last year’s anti-government protests and the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic had also made students from China less likely. continental will seek to study in the Get the latest insights and analysis from our Global Impact newsletter on the great stories originating from China. Since the places available at local public universities remain the same. At the same time, while the student population has decreased year after year, the pressure has come down on our sector. Peter Yuen, Faculty of Professional and Continuing Education, Polytechnic University “It is not unexpected. Since the places available in local public universities remain the same, while the student population has decreased year after year, the pressure has been reduced to our sector, ”said Professor Peter Yuen Pok-man, dean of the Faculty of Professionals from the Polytechnic University. and continuing education. The number of students dropping out of high school has dropped significantly, from roughly 57,000 in 2016 to 43,900 this year, but there has been no change in the roughly 15,000 first-year undergraduate program placements available at eight publicly funded universities. A higher percentage of applicants are entering, leaving fewer in need of the more than 30,000 spots offered by self-funded institutions that provide bachelor’s degrees, associate degrees, and higher diplomas. A subsequent analysis of enrollment data provided by the office on Wednesday found 17 of the 28 private tertiary institutions saw a drop in admissions figures compared to last year. At the 73-year Chu Hai College of Higher Education, student enrollment in 2020-21 reached its lowest level in at least a decade, with 82 students admitted, down from 155 the previous academic year. I was hoping to enroll 800 students in both years. The city’s largest vocational education body, the Council for Vocational Training, also saw a sharp decline in enrollment in self-funded courses, admitting about 3,100 students this year, about 1,000 fewer than last year. Its 2020 enrollment target was 4,075, while this year no students were admitted to the Caritas Institute for Community Education, despite an enrollment target of 80. The institution offers higher diploma programs in early childhood education as well as care of health, nutrition and physical fitness. . Underperforming Hong Kong Universities Face Enrollment Threat Among the seven tertiary institutions that exceeded their enrollment targets, the Hong Kong Institute of Technology admitted 334 students this year, down from 256 this year. Last year, Caritas Bianchi College of Careers enrolled 348 students, up from 159.In 2018, a government-appointed task force found that some of the private institutions had been criticized for poor teaching, as well as for consistently failing to meet Enrollment goals. A government committee on self-financing postsecondary education is reviewing this report. which aims to amend a 1960 ordinance in order to tighten the regulatory framework for private tertiary institutions and establish criteria for terminating poorly performing institutions. Yuen, from PolyU’s College of Professional and Continuing Education, said that uncertainties loom for the sector over the next several years, even though the number of Adually is expected to rise once again starting in 2023 Tuition rates rise at one in five private and semi-private schools in Hong Kong “It remains to be seen whether student enrollment will actually increase … [or] whether mainland Chinese students will return to Hong Kong, “he said. A former president of the Federation for Self-funded Tertiary Education, Yuen said he expected smaller-scale private institutions to suffer more than larger ones, especially due to an” already saturated market “which presented strong competition between schools. He also urged the government to consider relaxing the current 10 percent limit on the admission of non-local students from these institutions to allow for greater flexibility. A spokeswoman for Chu Hai College said that had been actively reviewing and reforming their current courses amid falling student enrollment, while the Council for Vocational Training said only that they would continue to provide a variety of courses for students. The Post has contacted the Caritas Institute of Community Education for feedback.This article Two-thirds of Hong K’s private universities ngos did not meet enrollment targets for 2020; often they first appeared in the South China Morning Post. m the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2020.
