ESF schools 【明報專訊】THE ENGLISH SCHOOLS FOUNDATION (ESF) has revealed its talks with the government may take a favourable turn. It is optimistic that its funding (which has been frozen at $280 million a year for twelve years) will go up to $400 million a year and expects that to be finalised by September next year. ESF schools are reluctant to join the Direct Subsidy Scheme. In fact, if they do so, they will have to operate under the local school system and, as a result, lose much of their competitive advantage. Nor would they position themselves as international schools. They want to charge tuition that is on a par with international schools', get funding from the government and remain outside Hong Kong's school system. The ESF's turf is like a "concession territory" in Hong Kong's education system. Not only does it enjoy "extraterritoriality", but the government also spends public money to maintain its "extraterritoriality". That, one may say, is absolutely absurd. Last year the government said the ESF question was one "inherited from history" and suggested it was necessary to define the ESF's positioning and see that its schools would gradually become responsible for their own profits and losses without detriment to their performance. The ESF, which enjoys privileges, is an anomaly. Its existence is quite at odds with the principle of fairness. This ought to be changed. The previous administration moved in the right direction when it said it was its aim to solve the problem once and for all by having ESF schools assume sole responsibility for their own profits and losses. Since some years ago, the ESF, unable to come to terms with the government, has found new ways to increase its incomes. ESF schools have not only raised their tuition but also charged their students "construction" and "maintenance" fees. Such a charge may easily amount to several ten thousand dollars. Though its reserves stand at $900 million, it is vigorously raising funds (allegedly for rebuilding its schools). It is thus quite clear that ESF schools do not operate differently from international schools. Like them, they charge ultra-high tuition and miscellaneous charges and use "financial techniques" to raise funds. The way they operate smacks strongly of commercialisms. It would aggravate the unfairness for the government to continue to provide the ESF with funding. In fact, though ESF parents have to pay high tuition and many miscellaneous fees, people are no less desirous of sending their children to ESF schools. Their places are hard to come by. This shows the ESF has such a reputation and is in such a position that it should turn its schools into private institutions rather than go to extraordinary lengths to obtain government funding. The government should take such steps that ESF schools will eventually become private entities (which are responsible for their own profits and losses). Specifically, it should assure ESF students it will subsidise their primary and secondary schooling and make it a rule that "money should follow students" so that their subsidisation will continue even if they go to other schools. One may say the government has taken into account both history and reality if it pursues such a policy, which may help soften ESF parents' antagonism. Subsidising the schooling of those who now attend ESF schools means the ESF may adapt itself to changes in a thirteen-year transition period. We believe this is the best way to deal with the ESF question. The government would be well advised to consider adopting it. 明報社評2012.10.12﹕英基學校應自負盈虧 政府資助應逐步撤銷 英基校方透露與政府的磋商有轉機。校方對凍結了12年的每年2.8億元資助額能夠增加至4億元，取態樂觀，並期望明年8月底前定案云云。 英基不願意改為直資。事實上，若英基改為直資，意味回歸本地學制，優勢大減；而英基也不願定位為國際學校，它只肯收取等同國際學校的學費，接受政府資助，而又獨立於本港學制以外。英基恍似香港教育制度的「租界」，不僅擁有「治外法權」，政府還以公帑維繫這個治外法權，可謂十分荒誕。去年，政府認為「英基是歷史遺留下來的問題」，要釐清定位，提出在不影響英基的教學質素下，逐步過渡至自負盈虧。英基的畸形存在等於享有特權，從根本上偏離了公平原則，有必要改變，上一屆政府提出要英基自負盈虧的目標，以徹底解決這個問題，是正確的方向。 多年來，英基與政府談不攏的情下，在財政收入方面已經另闢蹊徑，除了加學費，也向學生徵收建校費、保養費等費用，動輒數萬元。英基現有9億元儲備，仍然積極籌集資金，據稱是為準備重建學校。從這些情看來，英基的營運模式與其他國際學校並無分別，都是以高昂學費和附帶收費以至「財技」集資等操作，商業意味濃烈，若政府繼續給予資助，不公平情將更嚴重。 其實，即使英基學費昂貴，加上要家長繳付其他費用，仍然無礙家長熱忱，學額難求，反映以英基的校譽和條件，應該轉型為私校，勿再千方百計尋求政府資助了。 政府應該採取措施，逐步使英基轉型為自負盈虧的私校。具體做法是政府向已入讀英基的學生保證，繼續資助他們直至中學畢業，並訂定「錢跟學生走」的原則，就算學生轉讀其他學校，資助仍然持續。這樣做，可以顧及歷史與現實，紓解英基家長的反對情緒，而繼續資助現有學生，意味英基有13年過渡期適應轉變。我們認為這是解決英基這個歷史遺留下來問題的最好方法，值得政府考慮。 http://news.mingpao.com/20121015/ema1.htm
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發表於 12-10-15 08:46
