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Parents support Target Oriented Curriculum
There is a lot of support from parents for the introduction of the Target Oriented Curriculum (TOC) in Hong Kong as indicated in a recent survey, a spokesman for the Education Department said today (Tuesday).
He said: "In the recent survey among parents, some 80 per cent of the respondents agreed that TOC should be implemented and indicated that they would send their children to primary one (P1) at schools practising TOC in the 1996-7 school
year.
"In real number, this represents 5,270 children, in contrast to 4,807 found in the last survey on 1995 Primary One admission. Another 18 per cent have a neutral stand."
The respondents were parents of Lower kindergarten pupils or the four-to-five- age group and who had attended briefing sessions on TOC in the last two months. Their children will enter Primary One in September next year.
The overwhelming support from parents of prospective P1 pupils was gauged through the TOC briefing sessions which were conducted by 142 kindergartens and child care centres at the request of the Education Department.
The spokesman added that as a number of other kindergartens and child care centres had already informed the department that they planned to hold similar briefing sessions early next month, it was believed that demand for P1 places at TOC schools in September 1996 would further increase.
The survey conducted at the end of the TOC Co-operative Scheme in 1994-95 also provided very encouraging data as at the end of the TOC Try-out Scheme in 1993-94. Over 95 per cent of the participating schools said pupils' motivation in learning had improved and were more responsive and active when participating in learning activities.
Furthermore, there was greater co-operation among teachers and their professionalism had been enhanced.