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EDUCATION
Specific educational research projects on programme evaluation conducted by the ERE during the year 1987 covered the Activity Approach to Teaching in Primary Schools, the Remedial Teaching Scheme, Effects of Kindergarten Education on Primary Pupils, and the Split-Class Teaching of English Pilot Scheme.
Advisory Inspectorate
The main function of the Advisory Inspectorate of the Education Department is to monitor and improve the quality of teaching. This involves school inspections conducted by subject inspectors to advise on curriculum matters, teaching methods and utilisation of resources, and the provision of in-service training courses, seminars and workshops for teachers. The inspectorate is also responsible for curriculum development, evaluation of textbooks and instructional materials, and the provision of audio-visual teaching aids, educational television and library services to schools. It also organises various activities designed to stimulate good citizenship among pupils.
The Curriculum Development Committee and its many subject committees continued to advise on curriculum innovation and revision at pre-primary, primary and secondary levels. In 1987, a new syllabus in Computer Literacy at junior secondary level as well as revised syllabuses in Music at primary level, Science at junior secondary level, and Principles of Accounts and Computer Studies at senior secondary level were issued. To encourage the adoption of Chinese as the medium of instruction, handbooks with technical terms in English and Chinese for 19 subjects at secondary level were compiled for teachers' reference. The activity approach, a more child-centred and less formal approach to learning in primary schools, continued to expand. The textbooks committee, as in previous years, provided guidance to schools in the selection of textbooks through the publication of recommended lists and also maintained close contact with publishers of educational materials.
Teaching and Resource Centres
The Advisory Inspectorate operates six teaching centres concerned with the teaching of Chinese, English, Mathematics, Science, Social Subjects and Cultural Crafts and three resource centres in connection with Civic Education, Religious/Ethical/Moral Education and Sex Education. A Field Studies Centre is open to sixth-form students and teachers.
During the year, the Chinese Language Teaching Centre conducted 71 refresher courses, workshops and seminars for 3 850 teachers of Chinese in secondary and primary schools. Nine courses and seminars on Putonghua teaching were conducted for 560 teachers. Four periodic displays on special topics were organised and attracted some 1 700 teachers. Both primary and secondary schools benefited from the centre's free dubbing service and over 1 200 teaching tapes were made during the year, and 23 sets of video tapes and 12 sets of slides on the teaching of the Chinese Language as well as the teaching of Putonghua were produced for in-service training purposes. Three curriculum pamphlets on remedial teaching were published for teachers' reference.
The English Language Teaching Centre organised a number of seminars, workshops, talks and exhibitions in support of the English curriculum in primary and secondary schools. As well as offering schools a free non-commercial tape-dubbing service, the centre had a collection of English language books, journals and cassette tapes for teachers' reference.
The Mathematics Teaching Centre serves as an in-service training venue and resource centre for mathematics teachers. A total of 20 seminars, courses and workshops were conducted for primary and secondary mathematics teachers. More than 1 820 teachers