(1) Background
Pursuant to the Education Bureau Circular (Circular No. 20/2019) to all aided schools on 1 August 2019, starting from the 2019/20 school year, each public sector school is provided with the School-Based Management Top-up Grant as recurrent funding. This additional grant may be used flexibly to support schools in enhancing the operation of their IMCs by strengthening and diversifying training provided for school managers so as to facilitate stakeholders’ participation in school governance. The circular also states that schools may purchase the services they need from service providers, including their School Sponsoring Bodies (SSBs), provided that the established procurement procedures are observed.
To enhance cost-effectiveness and avoid duplication of work, the Catholic Education Office set up the Support for School-Based Management Team to achieve the following aims:
1. Supporting the operation of the IMCs to enhance the effectiveness of school governance;
2. Strengthening training to better equip school supervisors/managers with the necessary knowledge, skills and attitudes so as to achieve synergy resulting from collaboration and the desirable effects of checks and balances in school governance.
(2) Vision and Mission
We support school-based management to enhance governance and promote quality Catholic education that shall uphold and pass on the five Catholic core values, Truth, Justice, Love, Life and Family, to unlock young people’s God-given talents, nurture whole-person development with discernment and creativity, and prepare them properly for their life and future responsibilities to serve the common good.
(3) Domains of Services
Domain 1: Provide professional support services
1.1 Devise and revise school policies for school-based management;
1.2 Provide professional legal advice services ;
1.3 Support financial management;
1.4 Support personnel management;
1.5 Support facility management;
1.6 Support crisis management ;
1.7 Support information technology in school-based management, including the use of the Diocesan Schools Intranet as a knowledge management system;
1.8 Provide training for School Executive Officers ;
1.9 Support the development of school characteristics and school collaboration.
Domain 2: Deploy and train School Supervisors and Managers
2.1 Nominate suitable personnel to be Supervisors and School Managers;
2.2 Handle School Supervisors and Managers’ Registration;
2.3 Arrange SSB Manager Exchange Programme;
2.4 Arrange Cross-SSB Manager Exchange Programme;
2.5 Arrange SSB Supervisor Exchange Meetings;
2.6 Organize “Catholic School Leaders’ Learning Circle”;
2.7 Arrange Induction Programmes for New Supervisors and Managers;
2.8 Arrange training sessions for School Managers.
Domain 3: Support Services for IMC
3.1 Support IMC’s operation ;
3.2 Support the formation of IMC subcommittees ;
3.3 Select and deploy Principals;
3.4 Support newly-appointed Principals ;
3.5 Provide “Catholic Aspiring Leader Learning Programme”.
