ENG-2003 — Page 191

EDUCATION

information technology in education and schemes that recognise excellence in the performance of schools. By year-end, the fund had made six rounds of grants amounting to $2.9 billion for 4 900 projects, and closed its call for the seventh round with about 800 applications. As a supporting measure for the education reform, the fund also promotes and disseminates good practices distilled from funded projects through various means such as experience-sharing sessions, briefings, seminars and project expositions.

Improvement in Assessment Mechanism

Basic Competency Assessments are being introduced at key stages of learning for Chinese, English and Mathematics. Under the Basic Competency Assessments, the Student Assessment helps teachers better understand the learning needs of students as well as the areas requiring improvement, so that timely assistance can be provided to enhance their learning effectiveness. The Territory (System) Assessment provides the Government and school management with useful information on students' standards at the levels of Primary 3, Primary 6 and Secondary 3 on a territory-wide and school basis.

In June, the Hong Kong Examination Assessment Authority introduced the computer-aided Student Assessment programme to all primary schools and connected it to the supportive learning and teaching materials through the Internet. Views were also collected from schools on the basic competencies which students were expected to attain for the three subjects of Chinese, English and Mathematics.

Increase in Post-secondary Opportunities

To upgrade Hong Kong's human capital to cope with the requirements of a knowledge-based economy, the Chief Executive announced in his 2000 Policy Address that 60 per cent of the 17-20 age group should have access to post-secondary education by the 2010-11 school year. To provide the impetus, the Government offers interest-free start-up loans, accreditation grants and land to providers of post-secondary education and new financial assistance for students. The overall post-secondary participation rate for the 17-20 age group has increased from 32 per cent in 2000-01 to 48 per cent in 2003-04.

Improvement in Language Education

The language policy of the Government is to enable students and the working population to be biliterate (in Chinese and English) and trilingual (in Cantonese, Putonghua and English).

In early 2001, the Standing Committee on Language Education and Research (SCOLAR) began a review of the language education policy in Hong Kong. The Standing Committee has reviewed academic and official literature on the subject, conducted school visits and held in-depth discussions with key stakeholders as well as carrying out a survey of students' motivation for language learning. In January, the Standing Committee issued a consultation document entitled Action Plan to Raise Language Standards in Hong Kong. A total of 193 submissions were received from education-related bodies, schools, tertiary institutions, political parties, and individual members of the public.

Having regard to the feedback received, the SCOLAR finalised and released its recommendations in June, and these were generally supported by the public.

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