HONG KONG 2005

Preparation for the New Academic Structure for Senior Secondary and Higher Education

To prepare for the implementation of the NSS academic structure, the Government undertook to consult the education sector further on the curriculum details and assessment modes of all subjects at the senior secondary level. Wider consultation will also be held on specific issues requiring further development including career-oriented studies and provisions for students with special educational needs (SEN). The Government will complete the relevant Curriculum and Assessment Guides for the NSS subjects, and expand professional development programmes and school-based support to enhance the capacity of teachers and principals to implement the reform in the coming few years. The Government will also give support to ensure the smooth implementation of the new academic structure for senior secondary and higher education.

A working group of representatives from universities, Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA), the University Grants Committee (UGC) and EMB was established to provide a forum for promoting liaison between the NSS education and higher education, and study interface issues including the university admission criteria.

The HKEAA is working closely with overseas examination authorities to ensure international recognition of the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE). HKEAA is also negotiating direct recognition of the HKDSE with major overseas universities.

The EMB is continuing to pilot the Career-Oriented Curriculum for senior students at Secondary 4 to Secondary 5 levels to pave the way for the introduction of career-oriented studies. Such studies with their stronger elements of applied learning, aim to enable students to understand fundamental theories and concepts through application and practice. The total number of courses has increased from 12 in the 2003-04 school year to 32 in the 2005-06 school year. In 2006-07, more course providers will be invited to pilot courses in the following six areas of study — applied science, business, management and law, creative studies, engineering and production, media and communication, and services.

The Government is committed to ensuring a language environment that encourages the population, particularly students and working adults, to become biliterate in written Chinese and English and trilingual in Cantonese, Putonghua and spoken English. Efforts to create a more motivating language-learning environment and specify a clear and realistic set of expected language competencies for students and working adults will continue.

Work that has yet to be completed includes the development of standards-referenced Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examinations (HKCEE) in Chinese and English languages by the HKEAA by 2007, the development of a common proficiency scale of Putonghua in Hong Kong, strengthening the work of the Task Force on Language Education, and encouraging schools, parents and students to make better use of the mass media, particularly English and Putonghua television and radio programmes, as a resource for language learning. The EMB will continue to explore further measures with different stakeholders to build an environment that is conducive to language learning.

Individual learners, be they students or workers, need help in mapping out their route to lifelong learning and the Qualifications Framework provides the infrastructure for those learning pathways. For the framework to be successful, it is essential for the EMB to work closely with various stakeholders, including employers, employees, professional bodies, and education and training providers.

The EMB, which will set up more ITACs in phases, is also assisting the ITACs in the development of the specifications for competency standards which will set out the standards required of employees in the relevant industries. The bureau is also developing a recognition of prior learning mechanism in consultation with the industries which have developed their specifications.

Subject to the enactment of the Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications Ordinance, the HKCAA will be responsible for the quality assurance of qualifications under the framework. It will also be responsible for maintaining the Qualifications Register, a free, web-based database of information on qualifications and training providers recognised under the framework. Learners can make informed choices of learning programmes, and employers can choose suitable training programmes for employees according to the needs of the industries.

The EMB started a comprehensive review of special education provision in Hong Kong in December 2005 to ensure effective learning for students with SEN under the new academic structure. The review will look at the existing service delivery, the impact of resources, and the perceived outcome in both special and ordinary school settings. The aim is to identify problems and propose improvement measures to support the development of integrated education and equal opportunity and full participation for disabled students.

The review, which will include research and study trips to keep abreast of standards worldwide, parallels other studies such as that on curriculum development for students with intellectual disability and the effectiveness of special schools in resource management.

In the 2005-06 academic year, the post-secondary education participation rate reached 66 per cent, well above the Government's 60 per cent objective. The Government initiated a review of the post-secondary education sector in August and established a steering committee of service provider representatives, quality assurance agencies and members of the community to oversee it.

The review is being conducted in stages. Phase 1 of the review, which was due to be completed in March 2006, takes stock of the development of the post-secondary education sector since the announcement of the 2000 policy objective, presents the issues discussed and summarises the views and recommendations received. Phase 2 will focus on the implementation details of the Phase 1 recommendations, and other higher level and structural issues requiring more detailed analysis and deliberation.

A review of pre-primary education started in the 2005-06 school year in the wake of the policy goals, established in 2000, being achieved. The key issues to be examined include professional upgrading for teachers and principals, financial and supportive measures for parents and operators and the promotion of a quality assurance mechanism to further enhance the quality of pre-primary education.

In the 2004-05 school year, the School-based Professional Support Programmes financed by the Education Development Fund were implemented as scheduled. In the 2005-06 school year, building on the experience gained, the EMB will strive to enhance these programmes and improve their operation by taking into consideration the specific needs of schools arising from curriculum development, teacher development and school development. The School-based Support Services Office was established in September 2005 to coordinate school-based support services both inside and outside the EMB.