Education | 149
External School Review
The School Development and Accountability Framework, introduced in May 2003, seeks to ensure sustained school development through school self-evaluation, complemented by an external school review (ESR) to give schools the benefit of feedback and suggestions for improvement from a a team of reviewers with perspectives across schools. The next phase of the ESR, starting from the 2008-09 school year, will continue to be improvement-oriented, and is expected to cover all schools in the public sector in about six years.
Governance of Tertiary Institutions
Each tertiary institution has its own structure of governance, set out in its ordinance. The structure includes a governing body, called the council or the court, and a body to regulate academic affairs, called the senate or the academic board. All eight University Grant Committee-funded institutions have conducted reviews of their governance structures to ensure that they stay effective.
Curriculum Development
Curriculum Development Council
The Curriculum Development Council is an advisory body that makes recommendations to the Government on all matters relating to school curriculum development from kindergarten to senior secondary levels. Its members include heads of schools, practising teachers, parents, employers, academics from tertiary. institutions, professionals from related fields or related bodies, representatives from the HKEAA and the VTC, as well as EDB officers.
The Curriculum
The school curriculum provides five essential learning experiences: moral and civic education, intellectual development, community service, physical and aesthetic development, career-related experiences for lifelong learning and the whole-person development of students. Curriculum reform progresses with schools adapting to the central curriculum to meet the needs of their students, and building on the experiences developed to raise the quality of learning and teaching. There have been improvements in students' generic capabilities, values and attitudes, and students. are becoming independent learners.
Applied Learning
Applied Learning (ApL) courses are offered in six areas of studies- - 'Creative Studies', 'Media and Communication', 'Business, Management and Law', 'Services', 'Applied Science', and 'Engineering and Production'. Through the development of foundation skills, thinking skills, people skills, values and attitudes, and career-related competencies, ApL prepares students for further studies, work and lifelong learning. The assessment results of students in ApL courses under the '3-3-4' new academic structure will be recorded in the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education transcript.