Education | 167
Key Achievements in 2004
Curriculum Reform
A survey on 'The School Curriculum Reform and Implementation of Key Learning Area (KLA) Curricula in Schools 2003'1 was conducted among frontline practitioners, to ascertain the progress of the curriculum reform. It revealed encouraging results:
• Over 79 per cent of the primary school heads and 69 per cent of the secondary school principals considered that their students have shown marked improvement in the areas of communication, critical thinking and creativity.
• Over 60 per cent of the principals considered that the curriculum reform has enhanced their personal/professional growth and they were more confident in implementing the curriculum reform. In addition, school team culture was strengthened. All these could facilitate the implementation of the curriculum reform in schools.
Improvement in Assessment Mechanism
In tandem with school-based assessment, Basic Competency Assessments (BCA) are being introduced from 2003 at key stages of learning for Chinese, English and Mathematics. Under the BCA, the Student Assessment and Territory-wide System Assessment help teachers better understand the learning needs of students as well as the areas requiring improvement, so that timely assistance can be provided to enhance their learning effectiveness.
The Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA) continued to introduce the computer-aided Student Assessment programme to all primary schools and to connect it to the supportive learning and teaching materials through the Internet. The service will cover secondary schools progressively. The Territory-wide System Assessment was first conducted at Primary 3 in 2004 and will extend to Primary 6 and Secondary 3 in the following years.
A wider range of approaches, such as more open-ended examination questions and school-based assessment to assess the different competencies of students will continue to be reflected in the assessment schemes for all senior secondary subjects in the coming years.
National Education
To help students recognise their roles and responsibilities as members of society and the nation, a national education programme was launched in Beijing to enrich Secondary 6 students' knowledge of the history, culture and contemporary situation. of the motherland. Two courses held in July and December benefited 340 Secondary 6 students. Making use of the successful expedition of China's first manned spacecraft, a series of programmes were organised for students to enhance their understanding of the significance of the event, and to inspire their commitment to society and the nation. The celebration of the 55th National Day also provided
1 A total of 148 primary schools and 101 secondary schools took part in the survey. The response rates of primary schools and secondary schools were 85.5 per cent and 75.9 per cent respectively.