ENG-2007 — Page 196

148 | Education

Secondary 1 to Senior Secondary 3 students under the New Senior Secondary structure to be introduced from the 2009-10 school year. With effect from the 2008-09 school year, the Government will also provide full subvention for full-time courses run by the Vocational Training Council for Secondary 3 school leavers, hence offering an alternative free avenue for senior secondary students outside mainstream education.

Small Class Teaching

The Chief Executive announced in his 2007-08 Policy Address the implementation of small class teaching in public sector primary schools by phases, starting from Primary One in the 2009-10 school year. By the 2014-15 school year, this initiative will be extended from Primary One to Primary Six. Schools will be given the choice of whether they wish to reduce their class size to 25 or to keep a class size of 30, and the Government would facilitate as far as possible by making available the infrastructure and manpower required.

Progress of New Academic Structure for Senior Secondary Education

and Higher Education

The Education Bureau (EDB) has published the Curriculum and Assessment Guides of the 24 NSS subjects to help schools prepare for a NSS academic structure which goes into effect in September 2009. The NSS operates under a '3-3-4' system, which provides students with three years of junior secondary schooling and three years of senior secondary schooling. In addition, the two existing public examinations will be replaced by the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) Examination, and university undergraduate courses will be extended from three years to four. The eight tertiary institutions funded by the University Grants Committee (UGC) have also announced in July 2006 the general admission requirements under the NSS structure.

Development of Post-secondary Education Sector

Phase Two of the Government's review of post-secondary education is progressing smoothly. The review's aim is to come up with a package of proposals to promote the long-term, sustainable development of post-secondary education, addressing public concern on aspects such as quality, recognition, employment, further studies and financial assistance for students.

Upgrade Teacher Status and Professionalism

The Chief Executive announced in the 2007-08 Policy Address to increase the respective ratio of graduate teacher posts in public sector primary and secondary schools by two phases - to 45 per cent and 80 per cent in the 2008-09 school year and to 50 per cent and 85 per cent in the 2009-10 school year to raise the status and professional standards of teachers for enhancement of the overall quality of education. A deputy head rank in public sector primary schools will also be created to enhance the quality of primary school education services. The Education Bureau will continue to organise the Chief Executive's Award for Teaching Excellence to give recognition to accomplished teachers and to foster a culture of excellence in the teaching profession.