ENG-1995 — Page 168

EDUCATION

Community Participation

Members of the community play an important part in the planning, development and management of the education system at all levels, sitting on advisory bodies such as the Education Commission, Board of Education, Curriculum Development Council (CDC), University Grants Committee (UGC), and Research Grants Council (RGC); on executive bodies such as the Vocational Training Council (VTC), HKEA and HKCAA; on management committees of schools; and on the governing bodies of tertiary institutions. Public response is sought on major changes to existing policy and practices in education through extensive consultation exercises and regular public fora.

The Education Commission

The commission advises the government on the development of the education system, as a whole, in the light of community needs. Its terms of reference are to define overall objectives; formulate policies and recommend priorities for implementation, having regard to the resources available; co-ordinate and monitor the planning and development of education at all levels; and initiate educational research.

It has 16 members, of whom 14, including the chairman, are appointed from outside the government to bring a wide range of personal and professional experience to the issues under review. They include the chairmen of the Advisory Committee on Teacher Education and Qualifications (ACTEQ), the Board of Education, the UGC and the VTC. The two government members are the Secretary for Education and Manpower, who is the vice-chairman, and the Director of Education.

In December 1995, the commission published its sixth report, outlining a comprehensive improvement strategy for language in education. The strategy involves a wide range of recommendations covering the formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policy, language goals and language development, education of language teachers, medium of instruction, the teaching of Chinese and English as subjects, the promotion of Putonghua, support services, and public perception and community participation.

The Working Group on Educational Standards, which was set up under the auspices of the Education Commission, issued its report in December 1994 for a three-month public consultation. Entitled The Quality in School Education, it presented a detailed analysis of standards in the present school education system and made many recommendations to enhance quality. Major recommendations included the creation of a Quality Assurance Unit (QAU); an effective set of quality indicators and a modified School Management Initiative (SMI) scheme.

The consultation exercise has generated useful discussions. Educators welcomed the concept of the quality improvement strategy, although doubts were expressed on certain recommendations such as the setting up of a QAU. The commission was preparing its recommendations to the government in the light of public responses.

The commission visited Melbourne, Australia, during the year to study reforms in the school education system of the State of Victoria, especially in relation to funding. The government commissioned a consultancy to develop performance indicators for Hong Kong's school funding system and to produce a revised funding model.

After several years of discussing the professional status of teachers and analysing international practice, the government set up the non-statutory Council of

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