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Reform Proposals for the Education System in Hong Kong

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Reform Proposals for the Education System in Hong Kong Foreword Learning is the key to one’s future, and Education is the gateway to our society’s tomorrow. Education enables individuals to develop their potentials, construct knowledge and enhance personal quality. It empowers the individuals. Education is not only preparing qualified personnel for the society, it has a more far-reaching mission of giving everyone, regardless of social origin or family background, equitable opportunities for personal advancement. No one is deprived of such opportunities for self- development and success, if only he has the ability and determination to fully exploit the learning opportunities. Hence, education creates opportunities and facilitates social mobility. “Students” are the focal point of this entire reform, “life-long learning” and “all-round development” the spirit. At the basic education level, the goal is to ensure that every student attain the basic competencies, while those with greater potentials be allowed to further excel. At the senior secondary and post-secondary level, a diversified and multi-channel education system will be introduced to provide more opportunities and choices. Students, according to their different aptitudes and abilities, will then be able to select their own path of learning, and we can witness the emergence of a society for life-long learning. During the consultations, there were concerns that the Education Commission was, in the name of equity, proposing reforms at the expense of the elites. Critics were also worried that while learning should be enjoyable, academic standards would be sacrificed. We must emphasize that the enhancement of the standard of students in general is never in conflict with the nurturing of academic excellence. Instead, we believe that all students have vast potentials, and education enables them to fully develop. Excellence is essential for the society, but a monolithic educational system can only produce elites in the very narrow sense of the word. The elites we need today are multifarious, and only a multifarious educational system, with diversified curricula, teaching methods and assessment mechanisms can produce the multi-talented people expected by the society. Similarly, learning should be enjoyable, and it does not follow that students will not work hard. It is only through hard work and achievements that they will derive satisfaction and i joy. “All-round development” is never the excuse for the lowering of academic standards, but rather the call for students to achieve a wider spectrum of competencies. The public has responded enthusiastically to the reform proposals. Throughout the three different phases of consultation, we have altogether received over 30,000 written submissions, and numerous comments were collected from various channels. The public agrees to the principles and directions of the reform in general, but there are also worries that the scope of the reform is too broad and there would be too many drastic changes which teachers, students, parents and other parties would find difficulties in adapting to such changes. We have to point out that the various parts of the educational system are mutually related. It would be impossible, for instance, to reform the curriculum without reforming the allocation system and university admissions. Therefore, we are of the belief that, to raise the quality of education, the reform could not be piece-meal and have to be comprehensive. However, we are very conscious that in the course of implementation, whilst we should have a clear direction, we have to move with great prudence, sometimes only with incremental steps. We therefore would urge the Government that it should make sure that all parties work in planned coherence towards our goals. Life-long learning and all-round education are not achievable without the active and enthusiastic engagement of front-line educators. Parents, and for that matter the society at large, must also embrace this cultural change and lend their support. The success of the education reform, in the final analysis, depends on the dedication and involvement of each and every one of us. Antony K.C. Leung Chairman Education Commission September 2000 ii Contents Foreword Page Chapter 1 : Review of Education System – Objectives, Scope and 1 Process Chapter 2 : Summary 3 Chapter 3 : Background to the Education Reform 27 Chapter 4 : Aims of Education for the 21st Century 30 Chapter 5 : Vision of the Education Reform 34 To build a lifelong learning society 34 To raise the overall quality of students 34 To construct a diverse school system 34 To create an inspiring learning environment 34 To acknowledge the importance of moral education 35 To develop an education system that is rich in tradition 35 but cosmopolitan and culturally diverse Chapter 6 : Principles of the Education Reform 36 Student-focused 36 “No-loser” 36 Quality 37 Life-wide learning 37 Society-wide mobilisation 37 Chapter 7 : Focuses of the Education Reform 43 Reforming the admission systems and public 44 examinations system Reforming the curricula and improving teaching methods 45 Improving the assessment mechanism to supplement 46 learning and teaching Providing more diverse opportunities for lifelong learning 46 at senior secondary level and beyond Formulating an effective resource strategy 47 Enhancing the professionalism of teachers 43 Implementing measures to support frontline educators 43 iii Chapter 8 : Reform Proposals for the Education System 49 Section 1: Early Childhood Education 49 Enhancing professional competence 49 Enhancing the quality assurance mechanism 51 Reforming the monitoring mechanism 53 Enhancing the interface between early childhood 54 and primary education Mode of subsidy 55 Section 2: Nine-year Basic Education 57 Reforming the school curriculum and improving 57 teaching methods Basic Competency Assessments in Chinese, 67 English and Mathematics Reform of School Places Allocation Systems 70 (I) Reform of Primary One Admission System 71 (II) Reform of Secondary School Places 74 Allocation System Section 3: Senior Secondary Education 88 Develop a senior secondary education system 88 providing diversified curricula and multiple channels Interface between nine-year basic education and 90 senior secondary education Academic structure of senior secondary education 92 Reform of the senior secondary curriculum 99 Public examinations 104 Section 4 : Higher Education 110 Definition of higher education 110 Functions of higher education 110 A diversified higher education system 111 Reform proposals 113 iv Section 5 : Continuing Education 130 Current position 130 Proposed directions for future development 130 Community-wide efforts in promoting continuing 134 education Specific recommendations 136 Chapter 9 : Implementation Strategy 138 Setting priorities 138 Implementing changes incrementally 139 Conducting trials in key areas 139 Undertaking continuous monitoring and interim reviews 139 Ensuring overall coordination 139 Chapter 10 : Resource Strategy 141 Resources currently devoted to education 141 Proposed resource strategy 142 Chapter 11 : Support of other Stakeholders 149 Chapter 12 : Concluding Remarks 155 Appendices I. Membership of the Education Commission and its Working groups/Sub-groups having participated in the Review of Education System II. Key Tasks in Curriculum Reform III. Detailed Proposals on the Basic Competency Assessments IV. Feeder and Nominated Schools System V. Catering for Multiple Abilities and Diverse Learning Needs v Chapter 1 : Review of Education System – Objectives, Scope and Process Objectives and Scope of the Review 1.1 Our future lies in today’s education. The system, modes, content and teaching methods of our education system must keep up with the environment and needs of society in the 21st Century. 1.2 Reviewing the education system is an important part of the overall education reform package. The Education Commission (EC) has comprehensively reviewed the existing education system in Hong Kong and formulated a blueprint for the development of education in the 21st Century according to the latest trends of development and society’s needs in the future. The overall direction of the education reform is to create more room for schools, teachers and students, to offer all-round and balanced learning opportunities, and to lay the foundation for lifelong learning. It will lay the favourable conditions for Hong Kong to become a diverse, democratic, civilized, tolerant, dynamic and cultured cosmopolitan city. 1.3 The review of the education system includes the curricula, the academic structure and the assessment mechanisms at various stages, as well as the interface between different stages of education. Process Systematic and phased approach 1.4 The EC started this review in early 1998. Owing to the wide- ranging and complicated issues involved, the review was conducted in three phases: Phase I: Aims of education in the 21st Century Phase II: Direction and overall framework for reforming the education system Phase III: Proposals for the reform of the education system 1 Establishment of working groups 1.5 The EC has set up two working groups and nine sub-groups, bringing in a pool of over a hundred experienced educators and members of the public to participate in the review (please refer to Appendix I for the name lists of the group members). During the review, the EC and its group members frequently exchanged ideas with various sectors of the community and conducted in-depth analyses into the pros and cons as well as feasibility of different
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