ENG-1996 — Page 198

EDUCATION

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General Studies (an integration of Social Studies, Science and Health Education), Music, and Physical Education as well as Art and Craft. Other learning programmes such as civic education, drug education and environmental education are offered on a cross-curricular basis or as separate optional subjects. A syllabus for each core subject is prepared by the Curriculum Development Council. The syllabuses for Physical Education and Art and Craft were recently revised and updated to meet changing educational and community needs. Awareness of the benefits of the activity approach is growing, and during the year it was adopted by 418 primary schools, or 50.5 per cent of the total.

Phase I of the full implementation of the Target Oriented Curriculum (TOC) initiative started at Primary 1, and 76 primary schools began to implement TOC in the three core subjects of Chinese, English and Mathematics in the 1995-96 school year. In the 1996–97 school year, over 520 primary schools (60 per cent) implemented TOC at primary 1.

Students ending the primary course are allocated places in government or aided secondary schools, or offered bought places in private schools. The allocation system is based on internal school assessments scaled by a centrally-administered academic aptitude test, and on parental choices. For allocation purposes, the territory is divided into 18 school regions to be in line with the district administration boundaries. In 1996, 78 869 primary pupils took part, of whom 70 016 (88.8 per cent) were allocated places in government and aided grammar and technical secondary schools, 4 824 (6.1 per cent) in prevocational schools, and 4 029 (5.1 per cent) in private schools in the Bought Place Scheme.

Secondary Schools

Secondary education is divided into junior secondary and senior secondary levels. The junior secondary curriculum aims to provide a well-balanced and basic education suitable for all students, whether or not they continue formal education beyond Secondary 3. This curriculum consists of a common core and, combined with the curriculum at the primary level, provides students with a balanced curriculum for nine years of free, compulsory and universal education. Universal free education was extended to junior secondary classes in 1978.

The senior secondary curriculum aims to prepare students for education beyond Secondary 5 as well as for work, and offers a diverse range of subjects from which schools and students may select according to the needs and interests of individuals, school traditions and the facilities available.

After Secondary 3, the aim is broadly to meet the demand for places on senior secondary or vocational courses. In 1996, there were subsidised Secondary 4 places for 84.5 per cent of the Secondary 3 students, with places for a further 5.6 per cent on full-time craft courses of vocational training. The target for sixth form provision is to provide one public sector Secondary 6 place for every three public sector Secondary 4 places two years earlier.

There are five types of secondary school: grammar, technical, prevocational, practical and skills opportunity schools. In 1996, the 418 grammar schools had a total enrolment of 456 700. They offer a five-year secondary course in a broad range of academic, cultural and practical subjects leading to the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination (HKCEE). Most also offer a two-year sixth form course