ENG-2012 — Page 159

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Education

platform on school guidance, with the next conference scheduled to take place in Shanghai in 2014.

Student Achievements

As in previous years, Hong Kong students excelled in international competitions in 2012. Hong Kong teams won two gold, 14 silver and six bronze medals in the International Mathematical Olympiad, the International Physics Olympiad, the International Junior Science Olympiad, the International Olympiad in Informatics and the International Sustainable World (Energy, Engineering, and Environment) Project Olympiad.

In music, Hong Kong students performed outstandingly in the World Choir Games 2012, winning gold medals for Youth Male Choirs, Youth Choirs of Equal Voices and Musica Sacra. One student received first prize in the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod Instrumental Folk Solo class.

As to visual arts, a Hong Kong participant won the championship for the 16-19 age group at the 34th International Fine Arts Competition for Children and Youth held in Poland, and six students won Grand Prizes in the International Students' Visual Arts Contest-cum-Exhibition of Hong Kong: Image Imagination.

In sports, Hong Kong young athletes garnered 18 gold, 19 silver and 13 bronze medals in the ninth World Rope Skipping Championships with four new world records set. At the Schools Inter-port Swimming and Athletics Championships, Hong Kong lead the medal table with a total of 36 gold, 34 silver and 17 bronze medals. In badminton and gymnastics events, Hong Kong students achieved the overall second runner-up at the Asian School Badminton Championships and the second runner-up at the Women's A Team at the National Youth Gymnastics Championships 2012. A student from Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education (IVE) of the Vocational Training Council (VTC) also won the Silver medal in Wheelchair Fencing Men Individual Epee (Category B) in Paralympics 2012.

IVE students of Higher Diploma in Digital TV and Motion Picture Engineering won three prizes in the seventh Tech-ex Cup International University Student Video Contest, and a team of IVE engineering students won the second prize in Solar Prototype Class of Shell Eco-marathon Asia 2012. In addition, Hong Kong Design Institute and IVE students/graduates won the Gold Award in Window Display Design, the Silver Award in Intelligent Home Appliance Installation and Bronze Award in Web Design and Merit Award in Mechatronics at the seventh Guangzhou/ Hong Kong/Macao/Chengdu Youth Skills Competition.

Major Challenges Ahead

Reviewing the New Academic Structure

With the completion of its first three-year cycle in July, the EDB, the Curriculum Development Council (CDC) and the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA) have launched a joint review to improve and fine-tune the New Academic Structure and the delivery of the senior secondary curriculum. Since August, suggestions from stakeholders have been collected through different channels including forums, seminars, liaison meetings, focus group

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