CB(1)132/96-97(03)
For discussion
on 18 October 1996

LegCo Panel on Education
Hong Kong Institute of Education
Funding requirement for basic teaching equipment

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Purpose
Funding requirement for basic teaching equipment

Computer Environment and Equipment
Equipment for Education Technology Facilities
Teaching (non-computer) and Sports Equipment for Academic Departments
Re-use of existing furniture and equipment
Advice of the University Grants Committee (UGC)
Way Forward
Advice Sought
Basic Teaching Equipment for the Hong Kong Institute of Education

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Purpose

This paper seeks Members’ comments on the Hong Kong Institute of Education’s (HKIEd) funding requirement for $90 million to purchase and install basic teaching equipment for its new campus in Tai Po.

Funding requirement for basic teaching equipment

2. In December 1994 the Finance Committee (FC) approved a project estimate of $2,094 million for the development of a central campus for the HKIEd in Tai Po to enable the Institute to run its courses under one roof instead of in ten small and scattered campuses as at present. A revised estimate of $2,312 million for the project was approved by FC in December 1995 to allow for inflation. When seeking approval of the project estimate in December 1994, the Administration indicated that funding approval of the basic teaching equipment would be sought later after the Institute had worked out its requirements.

3. The HKIEd has now established that $90 million is required for the purchase and installation of basic teaching equipment, broken down as follows -

A breakdown of the costs and facilities for each category above is at the Enclosure.

Computer Environment and Equipment

4. The HKIEd has advised that when the Institute was established in 1994, computing facilities inherited from the former Colleges of Education were extremely limited. Although in the past two years the Institute has improved the computing facilities in the dispersed campuses, much of what needs to be done must merge with the construction and setting up of the Tai Po campus where the Institute will have the opportunity to develop an up-to-date computing environment from scratch. The proposed computing environment will consist of a network system with multi-media capabilities that integrate text, sound, graphics, and video. An interactive multi-media system is the tool most appropriate for teacher education. It enhances interaction, expands learning opportunities, enlivens educational materials and makes learning more interesting. The Institute proposes to adopt the latest Asynchronous Transfer Mode technology for network-based interactive multi-media applications. It can be easily scaled up to match the needs of the Institute and technological development. This will obviate the need for re-engineering the environment in the foreseeable future to cope with new demand of the Institute.

Equipment for Education Technology Facilities

5. The HKIEd has to be equipped with comprehensive and up-to-date education technology facilities for both teaching and learning purposes. The facilities will serve students of initial teacher education courses (pre-service students), students of professional upgrading courses (all serving teachers), and lecturing staff. The proposed educational technology facilities include audio cassette recorders, amplifiers, wireless microphones, heavy duty video camera recorders, slide duplicators and projectors, cameras and lens and flashes, audio mixers, headphones, video cassette recorders (VCRs) (for editing purpose), CD-ROM recorder, multi-media non-linear editors, contact printers, enlargers and enlarger easels and lens, exposure monitors, dimmer control consoles, VCR Betacam, digital offset printer, colour copier, projection screens etc.

Teaching (non-computer) and Sports Equipment for Academic Departments

6. We also need to provide discipline-specific teaching (non-computer) and sports equipment for the 12 academic departments under the Institute’s four academic Boards of Studies, namely Language in Education, Educational Studies, Mathematics, Science and Technology, and Social and Business Studies, to meet their special needs. The equipment includes, for example, language teaching and learning equipment in the language laboratories in the Departments of Chinese and English, teaching equipment in the chemistry, biology, physics, primary science and integrated science laboratories, and equipment for the Department of Physical Education in areas such as aquatic, athletics, ball games and gymnastics.

Re-use of existing furniture and equipment

7. The HKIEd has pledged that it will transfer, where appropriate, all re-usable and serviceable teaching and non-teaching equipment at its existing campuses to the new Tai Po campus. The HKIEd inherited in 1994 from the former Colleges of Education and the Institute of Language in Education an inventory of furniture, teaching equipment, office furniture and stationery at a total book value of $40 million. Most of these items are well over 15 years old and have reached the end of their serviceable life. A large quantity of them have actually been written off, and the HKIEd expects that only about 5% will still be serviceable by the time the Institute moves to its new campus. The Institute has also purchased, since its establishment in 1994, facilities and equipment in the order of some $65 million. It expects that over 95% worth of these items can be transferred to the new campus. Those items that cannot be transferred are mainly equipment related to fitting out works and network cabling.

Advice of the University Grants Committee (UGC)

8. The HKIEd was designated by the Governor as an institution under the terms of reference of the UGC on 1 July 1996. The UGC accordingly offers advice to the Administration on the academic development and funding requirements of the Institute. Having examined the list of basic teaching equipment in the Enclosure that the HKIEd proposes to purchase, the UGC has agreed to the list of items, taking into account the mix of subjects that the Institute will teach, the size of its academic and administrative staff, the current technological environment which the graduates of the HKIEd will be required to work in, the planned number of students and the design of the new HKIEd campus. In this respect, the UGC supports a grant of up to $90 million for the HKIEd to purchase and install basic teaching equipment.

9. The cashflow requirements for the proposal at money-of-the-day prices will be as follows, with 68% of the total being spent before the opening of the HKIEd new campus in September 1997 -

10. There will be additional recurrent expenditure of $5 million a year, mainly for the running cost, like maintenance for the computer equipment, which can be absorbed within the Institute’s recurrent grants.

Way Forward

11. The funding requirement of $90 million for basic teaching equipment of the HKIEd will be submitted to the Finance Committee on 1 November 1996 for approval.

Advice Sought

12. Members are requested to note and offer their comments on the funding requirement for basic teaching equipment of the HKIEd.

Education and Manpower Branch
October 1996

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Enclosure to FCR(96-97)

Basic Teaching Equipment for the Hong Kong Institute of Education

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