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I'm Daisy Ng, from the University of Hong Kong. I enjoy watching movies.

The new Education revamp get thumbs up or thumbs down?

The consultation document released on 20th October, 2004 by Education and Manpower Bureau proposed reforming the senior secondary curriculum, and a new academic structure consisting of three years of junior secondary and three years of senior secondary, to be commenced in 2008, in place of the current five-plus-two system. This would be linked to a broader set of post-school pathways, including the introduction of four-year undergraduate university education in 2011.

At present only a third of Secondary 5 graduates continue their studies at Secondary 6. “The six-year secondary education will imply that all pupils will have the chance to achieve six years of secondary schooling,” said The Hong Kong Institute of Education (HKIEd) president Paul Morris. “The four-year university system will have the potential to insert constructive and important value to the excellence of learning in university.” (“Proposed education reforms get thumbs up”, by Jessie Hui, SCMP, October 26, 2004)

Besides, a single examination leading to the award of the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education would replace Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examinations (HKCEE) and A-level examinations (A-Levels). A school-based assessment element is also included in the public examination, it is hoped that the evaluation of students’ abilities will be more comprehensive and the present over-emphasis on examinations will be reduced.

Secondary school students will have to take four core subjects, which are Chinese, English, Mathematics and Liberal Studies, two to three electives from among 20 subjects and one or more career-oriented subjects; and other “learning experiences”, such as community service and career-related activities.

“We have to change the curriculum, otherwise it changes only the form but not the content,” Secretary for Education and Manpower Arthur Li Kwok-cheung said on RTHK as he took to the airwaves to support the reforms.

At a Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce lunch, he also stressed that the requirement for all students to study liberal studies and the wider variety of vocational subjects in the new curriculum would better engage students in developing the skills for the workplace. (“Reforms arm students with workforce skills”, by Liz Heron, SCMP, November 16, 2004)

According to the paper provided by Education and Manpower Bureau on “Reforming the Academic Structure for Senior Secondary Education and Higher Education"” [CB(2)90/04-05(01)] (29 October 2004), a wider consultation exercise to seek community feedback on the implementation details of the proposed changes has been launched on 20 October 2004. The three-month consultation will end on 19 January 2005.

So far, the direction of change has enjoyed widespread public support. Parents generally support the proposed new system though they are concerned about the credibility of the new public exam. Joseph Cheng Yu-shek, a professor of political science at City University of Hong Kong, claimed that there are two main worries among secondary school staff. Firstly, the reduction of subjects may reduce the quantity of teachers needed in schools; and secondly, reforms may cause a lot of administrative duties, increasing their already heavy workloads. (“Listen to the voice of teachers”, by Joseph Cheng, SCMP, November 18, 2004)

“More time is needed for the introduction of liberal studies,” Legislative council’s education sector representative, Cheung Man-kwong, who is also head of the Professional Teachers’ Union, argued. (“Education revamp cannot be carried out in stages”, by Klaudia Lee, SCMP, October 24, 2004).

The education minister, Arthur Li, said earlier that the implementation date for proposed reforms to the school structure could be postponed. “The timing and contents of the reforms were open to modify, relying on the opinions of schools, teachers and the public,” he said. (“Education system reforms may be delayed; Minister wants to ensure that all viewpoints on issue are fully considered first”, by May Chan, SCMP, October 22, 2004)

The proposed education reforms are actually long overdue. The University of Hong Kong, under vice-chancellor Wang Gungwu, called for the education reform along the lines of the recent consultation document as early as 1986. The Chinese University of Hong Kong, which was the sole tertiary institution offering four-year degree courses, was forced to follow other institutions by reducing its courses to three years.