ENG-1990 — Page 187

EDUCATION

government for a Language Development Fund to be managed by the institute. The fund will support a programme of carefully selected projects of practical value to language teachers, teacher trainers and educational planners. Projects administered and financed the fund will also address problems of effective communication in the business sector and will feed information back into the education system on the language needs of the workplace. The programme, launched by the institute in September 1990, includes proj- ects to devise performance targets, graded levels of attainment and criterion-referenced assessments for the strengthening of English language learning at primary and secondary levels. It also includes projects to establish the levels of language proficiency required by employers of students leaving school at the end of the fifth year of secondary education.

In addition to journal articles by members of staff, the institute published two issues of its professional journal (ILEJ), three teachers' handbooks and two volumes of selected conference proceedings.

Educational Research

Research in education is undertaken by the department's Educational Research Establish- ment (ERE). In the year under review, the ERE conducted research into various aspects of educational programmes and new educational policies. These included effects of the change of medium of instruction in secondary schools, continuity of teaching practices between lower primary classes (Primary 1-3) adopting the Activity Approach and upper primary classes (Primary 4-6) adopting non-Activity Approach, and correlation of the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination with Higher Level and Advanced Level Examinations.

Furthermore, the ERE constructed test papers of the Hong Kong Attainment Tests (Primary) Series 4 for Primary 4 on the three basic subjects of Chinese, English and Mathematics. Work is in progress to construct the Chinese, English and Mathematics tests of the Hong Kong Attainment Tests (Primary) Series 4 for Primary 5. The tests are designed for use by primary schools to assess pupils' achievement against a set of explicit graded targets in the three basic subjects, so as to better diagnose their strengths and weaknesses to facilitate streaming, guidance, counselling and remedial teaching.

Advisory Inspectorate

The main function of the department's Advisory Inspectorate is to monitor and improve the quality of teaching. This involves regular school inspections to advise on curriculum matters, teaching methods and utilisation of resources. The quality of teaching is also improved through the provision of in-service training courses, seminars and workshops for teachers. The Advisory Inspectorate is responsible for curriculum development as well as evaluation of textbooks and instructional materials. To support curriculum development in schools, the inspectorate publishes reference materials in the form of syllabuses, curriculum guidelines, handbooks, newsletters and bulletins; operates different teaching and resource centres and a field study centre, and provides a number of supporting services to schools such as audio-visual aids, educational television, and a school library service. It is also responsible for the promotion of extra-curricular activities in schools through centrally-organised activities such as the Community Youth Club Scheme and the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme.

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