EDUCATION
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Overall Education Landscape
Early Childhood Education
In September 2002, 143 000 children were enrolled in 777 kindergartens. Most kindergartens operate in half-day sessions.
The Government continues to promote the development of quality kindergarten education through upgrading the qualifications of kindergarten principals and teachers. All newly appointed kindergarten principals should have completed the Certificate in Kindergarten Education course or its equivalent. All kindergartens are now required to employ at least 60 per cent professionally trained Qualified Kindergarten Teachers (QKT), and this will be increased to 100 per cent by 2004.
The Kindergarten Subsidy Scheme introduced in 1995 helps kindergartens meet the required proportion of QKTs without having to increase school fees substantially and causing a financial burden for parents. Improvements have been made in 2002 to encourage kindergartens to employ more QKTs. Since 2001, the teacher-pupil ratio in kindergartens has been improved by three phases from 1:20 (Nursery Classes) and 1:30 (Kindergarten Classes) to 1:15 in both classes.
The Government enhances the development of quality early childhood education by promoting school self-evaluation and an external monitoring mechanism. Since 2000, quality assurance inspection has been implemented in kindergartens. A full set of Performance Indicators for kindergartens has been published in 2002 to serve as the basis for self-evaluation and quality assurance inspection by the Education Department.
Following a public consultation in mid-2002, a Working Party formed between the Education Department and the Social Welfare Department to advise the Government on harmonisation of pre-primary services will finalise its recommendations in early 2003. Preparatory arrangements, including making legislative amendments, are in progress with a view to implementing the harmonisation measures from the 2004-05 school year onwards.
School Education
In Hong Kong, free and universal basic education is provided for children aged six to 15 to enjoy six years of primary education plus three years of basic secondary education. Admission to Primary 1 in aided and government schools is through a centralised system, and at the end of Primary 6 all students are provided with secondary school places. Most secondary schools offer three-year basic and two-year senior secondary courses leading to the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination (HKCEE) as well as a two-year sixth-form matriculation course leading to the Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination. HKCEE candidates apply for subsidised Secondary 6 places according to an established Secondary 6 admission. procedure. In September 2002, 432 500 children were enrolled in government and aided primary schools and 408 700 children in government and aided secondary schools. The government and aided school places make up about 90 per cent of the school places.
For the 698 government and aided primary schools, the student-to-teacher ratio was about 20:1. In the 2001-02 school year, the target of raising the number of graduate teaching posts in primary schools to 35 per cent was achieved. In the 2002-03 school