ENG-2011 — Page 189

Education I 149

Cultivating Students' Moral Qualities and National Identity

To further enhance students' moral qualities and to build up their sense of national identity, the Government is working with stakeholders to prepare the curriculum guide on Moral and National Education (MNE) subject (Primary 1- Secondary 6) as pledged in the Chief Executive's 2010-11 Policy Address.

Public consultation on the implementation of the MNE subject was conducted from May to August. The Curriculum Development Council has deliberated the views collected on the mode of delivery, learning content, support measures, etc. and will submit revised proposals to the Government in early 2012 for consideration.

Professional development programmes will be provided to teaching professionals to help them prepare for the launching of the MNE subject. Learning and teaching resources will be produced to support the roll-out of the said curriculum.

Facilitating the Development of e-learning Resources in Schools

Since 1998, the Government has invested nearly $9 billion into implementing information technology (IT) in education and spent approximately another $0.4 billion on developing e-learning resources. Schools today have a sound IT infrastructure, taking into account the number of computers as well as the available computer networks and platforms in schools. The Government has recently launched an Internet Learning Support Programme to help low-income families acquire affordable computer equipment and Internet access services.

To support the implementation of e-learning in schools and to provide teachers with appropriate e-learning resources and pedagogical suggestions, the Government has completed the online Depository of Curriculum-based Learning and Teaching Resources for primary schools on four subjects, including Chinese Language, English Language, Mathematics and General Studies.

As regards the depository for the junior secondary levels, the development is in full swing for six Key Learning Areas (KLAS), including Chinese Language, English Language, Mathematics, Science, Technology Education and Personal, Social & Humanities Education. They are expected to be completed by August 2012.

A three-year pilot scheme on e-learning in schools was launched in January. 2011 to explore suitable modes and necessary support measures for the development of effective e-learning solutions in schools. Twenty-one school projects have been selected involving a total of 61 schools, comprising 32 primary, 18 secondary and 11 special schools.

Overall, the projects have fully covered all KLAS and key learning stages. The project objectives also include the enhancement of students' information literacy, addressing learner diversity, enhancement of learning effectiveness through the use of IT, and the enrichment of the depository for learning and teaching materials, etc. Total government funding allocated to this pilot scheme amounts to about $59 million.