ENG-1996 — Page 189

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, executive bodies, management committees of schools and governing bodies of tertiary institutions. Public response is sought on major changes to existing policies and practices in education through extensive consultation exercises and regular public fora.

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 18 members, of whom 16, 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 Qualification (ACTEQ), the Board of Education (BoE), the University Grants Committee (UGC) and the Vocational Training Council (VTC). The two government members are the Secretary for Education and Manpower, who is the vice-chairman, and the Director of Education.

During the year, the commission published its Report No. 6 (ECR 6) on a com- prehensive strategy to enhance language proficiency. One of the recommendations is to set up a Standing Committee on Language Education and Research (SCOLAR) to provide a long-term institutional framework for the formulation, monitoring and evaluation of language in education policy. The report was accepted by the government in March 1996 and the SCOLAR was set up in October 1996.

The next phase of work of the commission is to produce a Report No. 7 on Quality School Education. It set up a Task Group on School Quality and School Funding in April 1996 to formulate the proposal and to draft a consultation document. In order to address the genuine need of the school community, the task group published a consultation pamphlet entitled 'Quality School Education: Ways to improve performance' in June 1996 for a six-week consultation. Comments were sought on broad principles governing quality school education, including the goals and targets of quality school education, ways to relate school funding to performance, the roles of key players in the school system and the relationships between them. The commission published a draft consultation document in November 1996 for public consultation which generated a great deal of public interest and discussion. It will submit its final recommendations to the government in early 1997. A working group set up under the Education Commission in 1995 continued its review of the case for the establishment of a General Teaching Council.

Board of Education

The Board of Education (BoE) is a statutory body appointed to advise the government, through the Director of Education, on educational matters at school level. It focuses on the implementation of approved policies, and the need for new or modified policies relating to education in schools. Its members include the chairmen of advisory and executive bodies concerned with the school system the Curriculum

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