More than 2,300 applications were received during the first call for applications to the Quality Education Fund (QEF) which closed yesterday (Thursday). The total amount of grant sought amounts to $2.1 billion.
"We welcome the enthusiastic response from the school sectors in seeking funds to enhance the quality of teaching and learning," Chairman of the QEF Steering Committee, Mr Irving Koo Yee-yin, said today(Friday).
"We hope the Quality Education Fund will prove to be an effective vehicle in bringing out schools' potential in striving for better quality in education."
The applications cover a wide range of innovative educational activities, which include the application of information technology in teaching and learning, teacher training and development, students' all round development, and projects to promote students' moral and civic awareness and their artistic potentials.
Applications will be sorted according to their nature and scale of operation to facilitate processing and members' consideration.
During the application period, the QEF Steering Committee Secretariat met with applicants to discuss potential projects and to assist them in fine-tuning project proposals.
Processing of applications is now proceeding in full swing. The applications will be submitted to the QEF Steering Committee in batches for consideration, while applicants will be invited to present their projects before the Committee where necessary.
Mr Koo noted that in view of the large number of applications received, many more meetings would be held in May and June to assess the applications.
"School-based projects which aim to commence during the summer vacation or in September this year will be processed first to avoid any possible delay in implementation.
"But there will definitely be no question of our stringent standard of assessment being compromised by the heavy workload," he stressed.
Meanwhile, arrangements will be made to strengthen the staff support in the QEF Secretariat to ensure that all applications will be processed within a reasonable time.
End/Friday, May 1, 1998