ENG-2001 — Page 224

EDUCATION

172

Government on two new educational initiatives. The first one was the Project Yi Jin programme, which aims to provide an alternative study route for secondary school leavers who perform less well in the public examinations. The council advised on the standard of programme and also monitored the students' learning outcomes. The other new initiative was related to the Government's commitment to enhance the language abilities of teachers and students. In this respect, the council was invited to evaluate the standard of the training courses proposed by local and non-local tertiary institutions to enable teachers to reach the language proficiency levels stipulated by the Government.

At the request of the Civil Service Bureau, other government bureaux and departments, public and private organisations as well as individuals, the HKCAA continued to undertake qualification assessment on comparability of non-local qualifications with local standards.

Committee on the Promotion of Civic Education

The Government set up the Committee on the Promotion of Civic Education in 1986 to promote civic awareness and responsibilities in the community.

In 2001, the committee focused its efforts in promoting respect for human rights and the rule of law, civic responsibilities, good citizenship, a sense of belonging to Hong Kong, as well as better understanding of Chinese culture and heritage and the Basic Law.

Major activities organised during the year included a wide range of publicity campaigns involving Announcements in the Public Interest, television programmes, telephone hotline stories, seminars on the Basic Law and advertisements to promote various civic education themes. The committee also launched a radio programme to promote volunteerism and civic education in support of the 2001 International Year of Volunteers. Civic education reference materials produced during the year included handbooks for parents, newsletters for young school children and a 2002 calendar on good citizenship.

During the year, the committee continued to implement the Community Participation Scheme to encourage community organisations to organise civic education activities at the district level.

Commission on Youth

The Commission on Youth was established in 1990. Its main objectives are to advise on matters pertaining to youth, initiate studies and research, promote co-operation and improvement in the provision of youth services and serve as a liaison point with other international youth organisations for exchange programmes.

In 2001, the commission organised a Youth Summit to explore ways to enhance the holistic development of young people in Hong Kong. The commission also completed a study on the influence of information technology on young people. The study examined the knowledge of information technology and usage pattern among young people, and the influence of information technology on their mindset, behaviour and interpersonal relationships.

During the year, the commission continued to implement youth development programmes that seek to realise the full potential of young people. These included the International Youth Exchange Programme that aimed at broadening the horizon and