An overwhelmingly positive review of self-financed sub-degree programmes commissioned by eight local tertiary institutions has been described as a 'toothless tiger'.
The review was conducted between May last year and this July by the Joint Quality Review Committee, established by the Heads of Universities Committee in 2005.
City University, Lingnan University, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Chinese University and University of Hong Kong were covered in the interim report.
Chan Tsang-sing, chairman of the review committee, said they had identified exemplar cases of quality assurance mechanisms. 'Their mechanisms are comprehensive and systematic,' he said. 'We are planning with the [Education] bureau to make a publication showing the good examples of the provision of sub-degree programmes in Hong Kong for students' reference.'
But Fung Wai-wah, convener of the Alliance for the Concern of Sub-Degree Education, said the review committee was a 'toothless tiger'. 'Being the programme operators themselves, it's hard for them to remain impartial,' he said.
'Sub-degree programmes have swamped the education sector and there are many problems because of the glut in supply, such as the indiscriminate admission of students.'
