Tertiary education reform

No shortcut to world-class

While the merger debate heated up, the HKSAR Government, at the same time, unveiled Sutherland report which give suggestion to future development of tertiary education, such as launching credit transfer system, funding mechanism that rewards good performance and liberalize oversea students recruitment proportion.

Purposes of the reform are to better utilize resources, so as to animate the diversification of tertiary education development and improve cooperation of universities allowing for effective channels of consultation and communication with staff, students, alumni, Colleges, Faculties and Council Members.

According to the reform suggested, students can transfer their acquired credits and continue their study to universities they desire. Among eight universities of Hong Kong, Hong Kong University, The Chinese University of Hong Kong and The University of Science and Technology are of higher reputation, which students of higher quality of other universities are eager to enter.

If the plan is carried out, students in the remaining five universities will, to a certain amount, pursue entering universities named above. This would lead to a blow to these less legitimate universities. They have put effort on enhancing the quality of students, but will end up with brain drain.

Centrifugal force also leads to difficulty of cultivating sense of belonging among students. Students change from school to school. Vague identification resulted and less of them willing to take up responsibility of enhancing students’ benefits through joining different student organizations. It indirectly affects students’ autonomy as well as a loss of the culture, values and beliefs that make each unique gradually.

It is conscious that Hong Kong faces intense global competition. Hong Kong tertiary education has long been criticized for its decline of quality of university graduates and lack of global incompetence. It is therefore incumbent upon the education sector to explore ways and means to leverage upon their strengths and make even more significant contributions to higher education.

But whether the proposed reform can fulfill its objective remains uncertain. But one should not ignore the fact that there are no short-cut to achieve “world-class”, unless effective and very steps are taken, the problem will not become less serious, still less solve.