EDUCATION
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instruction in secondary schools, a further assessment of the Activity Approach in primary schools and an evaluation of the Extensive Reading 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, the operation of resource centres and a field studies centre, and the provision of audio-visual teaching aids, educational television and library services to schools. It is also involved in developing civic education, sex education and moral education in schools, and organises various activities and publishes reference materials in support of these.
The Curriculum Development Committee (CDC) and its many subject committees continued to advise on curriculum innovations and revision at pre-primary, primary and secondary levels. New guidelines were issued on nursery class activities, revised syllabuses in Physical Education at primary level, Physical Education and Technical Drawing at both junior and senior secondary levels, and Chinese Literature and Physics at senior secondary level. Handbooks for 19 subjects with technical terms in English and Chinese were issued to schools to encourage teachers to adopt Chinese as the medium of instruction. With continuous support from the CDC and the Advisory Inspectorate, a more child-centred and less formal approach to primary learning known as the Activity Approach continued to expand.
In September 1988, the CDC was reconstituted as a council, with significantly fewer official members, and a number of new co-ordinating committees were set up for different levels of education, namely kindergarten, primary, secondary and sixth form. These continued to co-ordinate the work of a large number of subject committees. The objective of the reorganisation was to enable the CDC to respond more flexibly to present and future needs for curriculum development in Hong Kong. Other changes included the creation of a Special Education Co-ordinating Committee and a Textbooks Co-ordinating Committee to advise the Director of Education. The Advisory Inspectorate, with the assistance of the Textbooks Reviewing Panels, continued to help schools in the selection of textbooks by publishing lists of recommended books. Continuous contact was maintained with pub- lishers of educational materials in order to upgrade the quality of their textbooks.
Together with the re-organisation of the CDC, a School-based Curriculum Project Scheme was launched in September 1988. The scheme provided grants which are available to educationalists, including teachers, school heads, and lecturers at the colleges of education and the school/faculty of education of the universities who wish to develop curriculum projects catering for the varied needs of pupils of a wider ability range. 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 covering Civic Education, Religious/Ethical/Moral Education and Sex Education. A Field Studies Centre is open to secondary 6 and 7 students and teachers.
During the year, the Chinese Language Teaching Centre conducted 47 refresher courses, workshops and seminars for 1 436 teachers of Chinese in secondary and primary schools. Twelve courses and seminars on Putonghua teaching were conducted for 1 433 teachers.