EDUCATION
were conducted at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, the Hong Kong Institute of Education, and the Hong Kong Shue Yan College.
The scope of the HKCAA's accreditation activity has been extended to include sub- degree qualifications. The council conducted an assessment of the Caritas Francis. Hsu College, for the purpose of registration under the Post Secondary Colleges Ordinance (Cap. 320).
As adviser to the Registrar of Non-local Courses, the HKCAA advises the Registrar whether non-local higher and professional courses applying for registration under the ordinance meet the criteria for registration, and whether conditions of registration should be imposed. In 1999, the council began to be involved in monitoring the annual returns submitted from registered courses and advising whether registration of the courses should be continued.
The HKCAA also advises the Government, public and private organisations as well as individuals on the comparability of non-local qualifications with local standards. It also disseminates information and provides professional advice to members of the public on overseas education systems and on the comparability of qualifications. Upon request, the council provides advisory services to professional bodies, institutions and government departments in relation to accreditation, quality assurance and educational standards.
The HKCAA has taken up an advisory role for the Government in two new educational initiatives in 2000. One is the Project Springboard programme (see above) which aims to provide an alternative route and expand the continuing education opportunities for secondary school leavers and adult learners. The HKCAA has been requested to provide professional advice on the comparative standard of the programme, which was planned and designed by the Federation for Continuing Education in Tertiary Institutions.
The other new initiative is related to the Government's commitment to enhance the language abilities of teachers and students. In this respect, the HKCAA has been invited to advise on the standard of training courses proposed by local and non-local tertiary institutions to enable teachers to reach the language benchmarks stipulated by the Government.
Committee on the Promotion of Civic Education
The Government set up the Committee on the Promotion of Civic Education in 1986 to promote civic awareness and responsibilities in the community.
In 2000, the committee focused its efforts in promoting respect for human rights and the rule of law, civic responsibilities, good citizenship, a sense of belonging to Hong Kong, as well as better understanding of Chinese culture and heritage and the Basic Law.
Major activities organised during the year included roving exhibitions on civic education and district-based roving exhibitions on the promotion of the Basic Law; media publicity campaigns including radio and television announcements in the public interest, television programmes, telephone hotline stories and other forms of advertisement to promote various themes of civic education. A project competition was also held to encourage public participation in designing new programmes to promote the theme of 'Hong Kong, Our Home'. Civic education reference materials produced during the year included handbooks for parents, newsletters for young
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