The sixties of Hong Kong, with its economic take off and surge of population, was an arduous decade of challenges for the education sector, particularly severe for the mission of devising and administering a quality education catering for the booming number of students. A team of respectable, devoted principals, with visions and insights, gathered their minds and efforts to explore and look into a whole range of education issues, making efforts to initiate discussions, collect ideas from the sector and suggest education policies and practices to the government. With gratitude and appreciation for their quality advice and support in the sector, the Board of Education urged for founding the Hong Kong Subsidized Secondary Schools Council in 1971, continually serving the sector since then and entering its fiftieth year of service in 2022.
六十年代的香港，經濟起飛，人口飆升，適齡學童急增，如何實踐興學育才的神聖使命，成為教育工作者的重大挑戰。當時一群卓有識見、勇於承擔的校長戳力同心，探究鑽研各項教育議題，蒐集業界意見，為政府出謀獻策。一九七一年，在當時教育署官員大力促成下，香港津貼中學議會正式成立，至今已歷五十載。
The Hong Kong Subsidized Secondary Schools Council (HKSSSC), abiding by its constitution, aims to accomplish the following objectives.- To serve as a body representing all subsidized secondary schools in Hong Kong
- To promote and protect the rights and independence of all subsidized secondary schools in Hong Kong
- To promote and enhance the welfare and interest of the staff and students in the member schools
- To play the role of liaising and communicating between member schools and the government as well as other bodies
- To put forward the Council’s corporate opinions on education policies and to render services in respect thereof when necessary
按照津中議會會章，議會成立的宗旨如下：- 作為全港津貼中學的代表團體。
- 提高及維護全港津貼中學的權利、獨立和自主。
- 促進和爭取增加津貼中學教職員工和學生的權益。
- 擔任會員學校與政府及其他機構的聯絡和中介角色。
- 對本港教育政策及發展提供及發表意見；並在有需要時提供協助或服務。
The commitment and contribution made by HKSSSC in the development of the sector have been distinctively obvious and significant over the years. Education issues causing grave concern in various decades were most soundly and profoundly addressed, from formulating principles that underpinned policies to administering implementation details. The Council’s efforts in the implementation of universal primary and junior secondary schooling in the seventies, the expansion of higher education and vocational education in the eighties and the refinement of the curriculum for target-oriented learning and the policy on the medium of instruction in the nineties are doubtless concrete examples to cite. More recently in this twenty-first century, the indispensable parts played by HKSSSC in the development of the New Senior Secondary Education, the Voluntary Optimisation of Class Structure Scheme and STEM Education have also been most markedly assured. Apart from its advisory role, HKSSSC has also been serving as a mediator facilitating collaborations among the Secondary School Heads Associations of the eighteen districts and across different professional bodies. This liaising role of HKSSSC has in fact also been extended to collecting thoughts and coordinating efforts from frontline educationists across the territory for forming ideas of reference for the development of education policies.
津中議會多年來熱心關注香港教育事業發展，貢獻良多。無論是七十年代普及教育的實施，八十年代高等教育及職業教育的擴展，九十年代目標為本的教育改革及教學語言政策的修訂，及至二十一世紀新高中學制、自願優化班級結構及STEAM教育上，津中議會由釐定政策原則以至施行細節，均提出精闢獨到的見解。此外，津中議會於十八區校長會及不同教育專業團體中，一直擔當協調者的角色；同時凝聚教育前線工作者，集思廣益，上下一心，同為制定教育政策方向獻一分力。
The Hong Kong Subsidized Secondary Schools Council, ever enhancing its threshold with expertise and enthusiasm in the profession, has been thriving on its scale of work and significance since its establishment. While the council started with 46 subsidized secondary schools joining as its members, a total of 346 subsidized secondary schools, amounting up to 75% of the government funded secondary schools operating in Hong Kong, have currently registered as our members.
HKSSSC, with each member school represented by the principal, has been following the doctrine established since its birth. It is certain that the Council would go on speaking out for the sake of providing a quality education that benefits our students most, while noting the concern of those serving on the frontline and functioning as a bridge between the Government and the sector. HKSSSC would also always aim to respect the needs and interests of different stakeholders’ in a just and fair manner, despite the increase in the number of member schools and the expanding range of schools with differences in beliefs and backgrounds as well as cultures and management styles.
津中議會成立至今，漸見規模，成為教育界別甚具影響力的專業團體。會員以學校為單位，由校長作為代表。會員人數由創會時的四十六所津貼中學，擴展至今日的三百四十六所，約佔全港中學總數的百分之七十五。津中議會一直不忘抱負，矢志踐行成立宗旨，繼續站在教育前線工作者的角度，並以學生最大的教育效益為依歸，對各項教育政策及措施提出意見，成為業界與政府溝通的橋樑。另津中議會會員日益俱增，當中涵蓋不同類型的中學，各校的辦學理念、規劃、背景、文化和管治方式各有不同，議會堅守中正持平的態度，致力維護不同持份者的需要和利益。時至今日，津中議會廣受社會各界認同，教育局及其他法定教育組織均向議會諮詢教育議題。另津中議會在政府大部分教育諮詢委員會中佔一席位，亦成為香港大學校董會、教育統籌委員會的當然成員，有效反映各項意見。
With a well-recognised reputation earned through the years from various sectors, HKSSSC are often cordially consulted by the Education Bureau and different statutory educational organisations for comments and advice on various issues in the education sector. Representatives of ours are often invited to attend meetings convened by various governmental Advisory Committees on education. HKSSSC is also appointed as a member of the Council of the University of Hong Kong and the Education Commission respectively for collating ideas from various sources.
We cherish the splendid advent of our golden jubilee in 2022, with our sincere-most gratitude for the unwavering support we have been receiving from various member schools. Upon reflection of the journey we have travelled, HKSSSC would always call to mind its missions, assuring all of our determination to go on putting forth suggestions on education policies and issues, meeting challenges facing the education sector and striving hard for the sake of our students, teachers and the whole sector.
津中議會成立五十載，今歲迎來金禧誌慶。時光荏苒，回首過去，全賴會員學校的鼎力支持，會務得以穩步發展，謹此致以衷心謝忱。津中議會定當不忘使命，繼往開來，對香港教育政策及議題積極提供意見，為學界福祉及師生利益努力，迎接教育新時代的挑戰﹗
