EDUCATION
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secondary levels in the three core subjects of Chinese, English and Mathematics. These tests are administered yearly by primary and secondary schools, so that they can diagnose areas of strength and weakness in these subjects and provide appropriate guidance, counselling and remedial teaching. The results also help the department to monitor standards across years and levels. Research projects conducted by the section included studies into the continuity of curriculum and teaching practices between the various levels of education, the effects of changing the medium of instruction at junior secondary level, and imple- mentation of the new curriculum for Secondary 6 students.
The 19 district education offices, each headed by a senior education officer, provide advice and assistance to schools, teachers, parents and students; and facilitate com- munication between this group and the department. District education officers attend district board meetings to assist in discussions of educational matters.
The Careers and Guidance Services Section gives advice and information on educational establishments overseas. During the year, 3 477 students went to study in Britain, 2 828 to Canada, 5 025 to the United States of America, and 3 153 to Australia. Exhibitions promoting overseas education were staged by British, Canadian, American and Australian organisations.
Reduced class sizes and improvements in staffing ratios have increased the demand for qualified primary teachers. To increase the supply of such teachers, a new scheme was introduced, as recommended by the Education Commission, to assess non-graduate -teacher qualifications obtained outside Hong Kong. The scheme aims to identify a wider pool of potential teachers and to enable suitable applicants, including those whose degrees were not previously recognised, to become qualified non-graduate teachers once their academic and professional competence has been demonstrated. Applications were invited in February and a series of written, oral, listening and practical tests was held in April and May. Nearly 100 candidates passed.
The Students Division of the Hong Kong Government Office in London maintains close contact with Hong Kong students and encourages them to be young ambassadors, promoting Hong Kong in the United Kingdom. During 1992-93, students in Birmingham, Liverpool, Edinburgh, Nottingham, Loughborough, Swansea, Bradford and London organised successful Hong Kong exhibitions and seminars, which were well attended, both by Hong Kong students and by people who have developed an interest in the territory through the goodwill of its students. The division works closely with the Student Financial Assistance Agency in administering the UK-HK Joint Funding Scheme.
Following the Governor's announcement in October 1992 that all government depart- ments providing services directly to the public would make performance pledges, the department quickly began to draw up pledges. The Director of Education announced these at the end of August. Leaflets were distributed to students, parents, teachers and members of the public. The Board of Education began monitoring the department's performance through an educational services liaison sub-committee.
In preparation for launching the pledges, staff received training in customer service skills. A comprehensive review of all forms was carried out, and about half the forms were eliminated. To provide customers with better information, a 24-hour automatic telephone enquiry system was introduced, attracting over 2 500 calls a day during peak periods. The service environment in many offices was improved, and further improvements were planned.