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Education

elective subjects from 20 NSS subjects, a range of Applied Learning (APL) courses and six other language subjects according to their interests.

ApL courses are introduced to Secondary 5 and 6 to cater for students' diverse learning needs. by offering studies with stronger elements of practical learning linked to broad professional and vocational fields. In the 2012-14 cohort, 35 ApL courses are offered under six areas of studies - Creative Studies; Media and Communication; Business, Management and Law; Services; Applied Science; and Engineering and Production.

The first HKDSE Examination was held in 2012 with students attaining encouraging results. The new HKDSE qualification has gained extensive recognition in international benchmarking studies such as the National Recognition Information Centre (NARIC) report and the Tariff System of the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) in the United Kingdom. Over 140 tertiary institutions worldwide, including renowned universities such as Oxford and Yale, have recognised the new qualification for admission purposes, and more are being added. The State Ministry of Education announced that 70 Mainland higher education institutions will consider the admission of students based on their results in the HKDSE Examination and Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination in 2013 and exempt them from taking the Joint Entrance Examination for Universities in the Mainland. More opportunities have been opened up for further studies and progression of students outside Hong Kong, enhancing student mobility internationally.

Information Technology in Education

The Pilot Scheme on e-Learning in Schools is one of the measures recommended by the Working Group on Textbooks and e-Learning Resources Development to promote e-learning in Hong Kong. The scheme is a three-year project spreading across the 2011-12 to 2013-14 school years.

The selected 21 school projects involved 61 primary, secondary and special schools. They will serve as research and development centres to develop school-based e-learning resources, validate when and how e-learning works best, bring about effective interactive learning, cater for learner diversity and help find ways to promote e-learning in local schools.

Language Education

The Standing Committee on Language Education and Research advises the Government on language education matters. It also advises the trustee of the Language Fund (which funds initiatives to improve Hong Kong people's proficiency in Chinese (including Putonghua) and English) on the policy and procedures governing the fund's operation.

To increase students' opportunities for exposure to, and use of, English, the Government has fine-tuned the medium of instruction (MOI) arrangements in secondary schools, starting with Secondary 1 from the 2010-11 school year and progressing each year to a higher form of the junior secondary levels. Under the fine-tuned arrangements, secondary schools have flexibility to decide professionally their own school-based MOI arrangements. Feedback on schools' MOI arrangements is given through the MOI focus inspections for continuous improvement.

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