XN000022-1992-08-17 — Page 7

MONDAY, AUGUST 17, 1992

ANOTHER MAJOR REFORM TO BE INTRODUCED SCHOOLS IS TARGETS AND TARGET-RELATED ASSESSMENTS

T

INTO PUBLIC SECTOR (TTRA) SCHEME.

IT SEEKS TO MAKE SCHOOL EDUCATION LESS TEACHER-CENTRED AND MORE STUDENT-CENTRED IN OTHER WORDS, TO MAKE EDUCATION MORE USER-FRIENDLY ΤΟ STUDENTS AS WELL AS TO MOVE AWAY FROM THE TRADITIONAL "CHALK TALK TO A MORE ENJOYABLE AND MORE RELEVANT TASK-BASED APPROACH.

AND

MR CHAN SAID: "THE SCHEME WILL START AT PRIMARY 4 LEVEL IN MAY NEXT YEAR IN THE THREE CORE SUBJECTS

AND ENGLISH, CHINESE

MATHEMATICS.

"WE SHALL EXTEND THE FRAMEWORK TO COVER ALL PRIMARY AND JUNIOR CLASSES BY 1997.

"EVENTUALLY TTRA WILL BE EXTENDED TO ALL SUBJECTS, AND POSSIBLY ΤΟ THE UPPER SECONDARY LEVEL,

CAN IF AND WHEN OUR '0' AND 'A' LEVELS BE MADE CRITERION-REFERENCED.

A THIRD MAJOR REFORM WHICH MR CHAN DESCRIBED AS "BY FAR THE MOST IMPORTANT REFORM OF ALL' IS TO UPGRADE THE TEACHING PROFESSION.

++

AT THIS THE EDUCATION COMMISSION HAS TAKEN A LOG, HARD LOOK ISSUE AND PUBLISHED TWO MONTHS AGO A COMPREHENSIVE REPORT CONTAINING A SERIES OF FAR-REACHING RECOMMENDATIONS.

THESE INCLUDED:

*

SEPARATE THE COLLEGES OF EDUCATION AND THE INSTITUTE OF LANGUAGE IN EDUCATION FROM THE CIVIL SERVICE AND UPGRADE THEM INTO AN AUTONOMOUS INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION WHICH WILL EVENTUALLY OFFER DEGREE AS WELL AS CERTIFICATE COURSES;

SETTING AN ALL GRADUATE TEACHING PROFESSION AS A LONG-TERM GOAL; AS A FIRST STEP, 35 PER CENT OF PRIMARY TEACHERS SHOULD BE UPGRADED ΤΟ GRADUATE STATUS OVER 15 YEARS; AND

* IMPROVE THE WORKING ENVIRONMENT IN SCHOOLS, ALLEVIATE TEACHERS' WORKLOADS AND ENHANCE HOME-SCHOOL CO-OPERATION.

MR CHAN EXPLAINED THAT THESE RECOMMENDATIONS WERE AIMED UPGRADING THE QUALITY OF TEACHERS AND AT ENABLING THE TEACHING PROFESSION TO ATTRACT AND RETAIN HIGH QUALITY PEOPLE.

AT

++

HE ALSO REVEALED THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAD LAUNCHED THE "SCHOOL MANAGEMENT INITIATIVE' LAST YEAR WHICH SOUGHT то

MORE DEVOLVE DECISION-MAKING POWER TO SCHOOLS.

THE MAIN ELEMENTS OF CHANGE INVOLVED IN THE INITIATIVE ARE:

*

ESTABLISHMENT OF A CLEAR DEFINITION OF THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF SCHOOL SPONSORS, MANAGERS, SUPERVISORS AND PRINCIPALS TO ENSURE GREATER EFFECTIVENESS AND

ROLES

AND

ACCOUNTABILITY;

GREATER PARTICIPATION

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