Current Pulses on Educational Developments in Hong Kong

香港特別行政區Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

Outline of Current Hong Kong Education System

• 6-year Primary School

• 5-year Lower Secondary

• Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination (HKCEE)

• 2-year Senior Secondary School

• Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination (HKALE)

• 3-year Bachelors Degree

Since 1997 Reform of the Education

System has been a major goal of

government and one of the most

talked about topics throughout

society.

From the outside one might wonder why?

• Thousands of HK students have succeeded at US universities

• By International measures, HK students are among the best in the world

Top Results in the OECD’s “Programme for International Student Assessment”

(PISA)

nicked from presentation by Professor Barry McGaw of Melbourne University and the McGaw Group Pty Ltd

nicked from presentation by Professor Barry McGaw of Melbourne University and the McGaw Group Pty Ltd

Problems with the Hong Kong Education System

• Students taught in a Language in which they may have minimal Proficiency

• Too Exam Driven

• Excessive “streaming”

• Too many “dead ends,” limited access

• Narrow Curriculum

• Excessively Centralized Management

“Dead-ends,” Limited Access

From a paper by Olsen & Burges, IDP Hong Kong

The first major steps toward reform began

in 1997. The currently planned steps will

not be complete until 2015 or beyond.

URL: http://www.e-c.edu.hk/eng/reform/progress004_pdf_eng.htm

URL: http://www.e-c.edu.hk/eng/reform/progress004_pdf_eng.htm

The Education Commission教育統籌委員會 was established to advise government regarding the long-term strategic development of education in Hong Kong. The Commission has provided the high-level guidance in the system-wide reform efforts.

The Education Commission教育統籌委員會 was established to advise government regarding the long-term strategic development of education in Hong Kong. The Commission has provided the high-level guidance in the system-wide reform efforts.

Model of the Major Initiatives of the Education Reform

Major Reform Initiatives• Mother Tongue Education

• School Based Management

• Secondary School Places Allocation System

• New Secondary Curriculum

• Changes to Assessment

• “3-3-4”

• Expansion of Post-Secondary Education

Reform: Mother Tongue Education

•Goal for students to be bi-literate & trilingual•Most Schools to teach in Cantonese•English teaching to be enhanced by use of “NET”teachers•A small number of local schools permitted to teach in English

Reform: School Based Management

Reform: Secondary School Places Allocation System

• Abolition of the Academic Aptitude Test

• Increase of the Discretionary Places quota

• More “through-trains”

• Allocation bands gradually eliminated

Reform: The New Secondary School Curriculum

• Move from 3+2+2 to 3+3

• Near Universal Participation

• Broader curriculum

• Focus on learning, not teaching

New Senior Secondary Curriculum

To be implemented with Secondary 4 in September 2009

ULR: ULR: http://www.emb.gov.hk/index.aspx?langno=1&nodeID=5904http://www.emb.gov.hk/index.aspx?langno=1&nodeID=5904

Anticipated Local University Admission Requirements

• Four core subjects

• 1 or 2 elective subjects

• other considerations

To be implemented with first intake from the new senior secondary school in September 2012

Reform: Assessment• Increased use of School Based Assessment

• Review of Subjects Examined

• Enhanced validity of public exams

• Increased use of new question formats

• More open-ended questions

• More emphasis on application and problem-solving

• Move to Standards-referenced Assessment

• Replacement of HKCEE & HKALE with one Public Examination, The Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination (HKDSE)

• International Recognition

For example, the 2007 HKCEE examinations in For example, the 2007 HKCEE examinations in Chinese Language and English Language will be Chinese Language and English Language will be assessed using Standardsassessed using Standards--referenced criteria.referenced criteria.

Reform: Introduction of a Four-Year Bachelors Degree

Anticipated Highlights of University Programs that are Currently Under Development

•Admission to School/Faculty not Program•Flexible US-style degree programs•Minors•Double Majors•more student choice•Outcomes based

There are 8 publicly funded Universities. The University Grants Committee is the primary funding agency and acts as a “buffer” between the universities and the government.

Reform: Expansion of the Post-Secondary Sector

• to support the progressive increase in post-secondary education. The planning target is that by 2010/11, 60% of senior secondary school leavers will have access to post-secondary education

• to facilitate tertiary institutions, private enterprises and other organizations to provide option(s) other than traditional sixth form education, such as professional diploma courses, and allocate more resources by providing land and loans to those institutions interested in offering such courses

• to extend the scope of assistance offered to students under the Non-means-tested Loan Scheme and low interest loan scheme, and to offer fee remission to the most needy students

The Government's objectives are:

Strategies for expanding Post-secondary educational opportunities• Encourage existing providers to expand

• Upgrade courses to post-secondary level

• Encourage new providers to enter the market

• Encourage On-line & Distance Education(both Local & Non-local)

• Encourage Non-local Universities to Establish Local Branches or Partner with Local Institutions

• Provide Financial Assistance for Overseas Study

URL: http://www.hkcaa.edu.hk/First.htmURL: http://www.hkcaa.edu.hk/First.htm

OTHER HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS IN HONG KONG

• Caritas Francis Hsu College

• Chu Hai College of Higher Education (formerly

known as Chu Hai Post Secondary College)

• Hang Seng School of Commerce

• Hong Kong College of Technology

• Hong Kong Institute of Technology

• Hong Kong Management Association College of

Further Education

• Hong Kong Shue Yan University*

• Hong Kong Art School (formerly known as The Art

School)

• The Church of Christ in China Kung Lee College

• The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts

*Shue Yan University was only recently granted university status. It is the first private institution given university status in Hong Kong.**The Hong Kong Institute of Education has been granted self-accrediting status by the Government for its own degree-level and above qualifications, effective 1 May 2004. Its sub-degree programs are still accredited by HKCAA.

URL: http://www.emb.gov.hkURL: http://www.emb.gov.hk

URL: http://www.ugc.edu.hkURL: http://www.ugc.edu.hk

ULR: http://eant01.hkeaa.edu.hk/hkea/new_look_home.asp

The End