In the midst of the rapid changes of the 21st century, timely education reform is necessary to meet the changing needs of the community and sustain the development of Hong Kong. The Government has been responding to the pressure for change since October 2000 when it began to introduce education reforms at every level, ranging from early childhood to tertiary and continuing education.

There are six major areas under review — curriculum and assessment, language education, professional development, student admission systems, school improvement and expansion of education opportunities. Five years' worth of reform work has borne fruit — the school curriculum and the education system have been diversified to cater better for the different needs and aptitudes of students, students' learning experience has been enriched and the professionalism of principals and teachers has been enhanced.

In a number of surveys, primary and secondary school principals, in particular, reported improvement in students' communication skills, independent thinking, motivation, creativity and commitment after reforms. By the end of the 2004-05 school year, 89 per cent of principals and 65 per cent of teachers in primary schools, and nearly all principals and 90 per cent of teachers in secondary schools had attained university degrees.