ENG-2019 — Page 185

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Education

establishing a professional ladder for teachers, implementing the all-graduate teaching force policy, enhancing the ranking arrangement of school management in primary, secondary and special schools, and setting up commendation schemes at multiple levels to acknowledge teachers with outstanding performance. The all-graduate teaching force policy was implemented in public-sector primary and secondary schools starting from 2019-20.

Principals

Professional development requirements are in place to help aspiring, newly appointed and serving principals enhance their leadership knowledge and address their developmental needs at different career stages. Some 1,700 aspiring principals have attained the Certification for Principalship and about half of them have become principals.

School-based Support Services

School-based support services foster leadership at schools, particularly among middle. managers, disseminate informed practices to improve learning, teaching and assessment and support professional learning among teachers. In 2018-19, the bureau provided school-based support services to 300 secondary schools, 399 primary schools, 31 special schools, and 252 kindergartens and kindergarten-cum-child care centres.

Regional education offices offer school-based support services in response to the needs of students, teachers, schools and other stakeholders.

Community Participation in Education

Home-school Cooperation

The Committee on Home-School Cooperation encourages the establishment of parent-teacher associations. There are about 1,400 such associations. The bureau funded about 3,600 school-based and district-based home-school cooperation activities in 2018-19.

The Task Force on Home-School Cooperation and Parent Education submitted the final report to the government in April. The government has fully accepted the recommendations and is introducing measures implementing the recommendations.

Committee on the Promotion of Civic Education

The committee advises the government on civic education, works with the government and other parties in arranging civic education activities, and sponsors community organisations to carry out projects to promote civic education outside school. It promotes the core civic values - 'Respect and inclusiveness, 'Responsibility' and 'Love' to encourage the public to show respect for others and fulfil their civic responsibilities. The committee also promotes the Constitution of the People's Republic of China and the Basic Law to enhance the public's understanding of 'one country, two systems' and sense of national identity.

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The committee's Civic Education Resource Centre at the Youth Square houses reference materials on civic education and youth development. It also organises training courses, seminars, sharing sessions, film shows, guided tours and exhibitions.

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