EDUCATION
Teachers are advised on tailoring the curricula in the subjects of Chinese Language and English Language for Primary 1 to Secondary 3 new arrival students.
A school-based support scheme was introduced in September 1997 to help these children integrate into the local education system. A block grant is given to public sector schools with intake of NAC from the Mainland. Schools can use this block grant to provide school-based services for the children such as organising tutorial classes or extra-curricular activities, developing special teaching material and acquiring specific resource material. Since September 2001, the rate of grant has been revised to $2,720 per pupil at primary level and $4,035 at secondary level. From the 2000-01 school year, the induction programme and the school-based support scheme have also been extended to include non-Chinese speaking children as well as returnee children. Since 2000, a full-time six-month initiation programme has been introduced as an additional mode of post-arrival service for newly arrived Mainland children. The programme aims at strengthening basic learning skills and fostering personal development and social adaptation of the children before they enrol in mainstream schools.
To increase educational opportunities for newly arrived youngsters aged 15 or above, since September 1996 the age for admission to all adult education programmes and courses has been lowered from 18 to 15.
Home-School Co-operation
The Government is dedicated to the promotion of home-school co-operation, which is a vital element in quality education. With the continued efforts of the Committee on Home-School Co-operation, set up in 1993 on the recommendation of the Education Commission, the number of Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) had increased to about 1 100 in January. In 2001, the committee organised a 'New Century Learning Family Campaign' to promote the concept of 'family as a learning unit'. It includes a wide variety of activities including a 'Parent-child Voluntary Work Scheme', a 'Parent Peer Counselling Scheme', training programmes for PTAs and other activities.
In June, the Finance Committee of the Legislative Council approved a commitment of $50 million to strengthen parent education and to encourage parents to participate in educational affairs. In August, the Education Department invited non- governmental organisations, schools (including kindergartens) and Parent-Teacher Associations to apply for grants to run parent education programmes. Parent education programme materials, featuring children's physical, psychological and intellectual development, are now being developed.
Extra-curricular Activities
Recent education reforms encourage 'life-wide learning' which allows students to have a more balanced education beyond the confines of the classroom setting. Extra- curricular activities create an environment to stimulate and enhance student learning. The Education Department provides advice and guidance to teachers. It also subsidises part of the expenditure and co-ordinates many inter-school programmes and activities. In 2001, these included the Community Youth Club, the Hong Kong Award for Young People, the Chinese Cultural Project, the Schools Dance Festival, the School Drama Festival, sports, recreational and various subject-based and interest-based activities.
155