|
|
 |
Common
Concerns over Education Reforms
Please
express your views. Thank you!
|
|
|
(Draft translated from the Chinese
version)
The
1st Hong Kong School Principalsˇ¦ Conference was held
on 19 March 2004. Over one thousand school principals
and leaders of local secondary schools and primary
schools participated in the conference. At the Policy
Forum session, speakers and participants summarized
the results of discussion and exchange during the conference
and concluded by drawing up a list of common concerns
over ongoing education reforms and implementation strategies
for future development. They also asked that this list
be widely disseminated to all Hong Kong educators and
those concerned for further constructive discussion
and debate.
We believe, your valuable responses
and opinions will contribute greatly to the development
of local education.
(For papers
of the Conference, please visit the web-site at http://www.ied.edu.hk/cric/new/principalconference/paper.htm)
|
Common
Concerns over Education Reforms
With regard
to ongoing education reforms in Hong Kong, we have
common concerns related to three major aspects: the
teaching profession, the education environment and
the formulation and implementation of reform policy.
(1) The
Teaching Profession
Areas of
Affirmation: the professionalism of the teaching
profession can be claimed as one major achievement
of education reforms in recent years.
Areas
of Concern:ˇE
- No proper respect of or
protection for the professionˇ¦s image & status,
which have been greatly damaged in the process
of education reforms in recent years.
- No prioritization
of the various new measures in education reform;
requesting teachers and
schools to implement all; thus leading to sharp
increase in workload and low morale.
- With every
school working to bring forth ˇ§innovationsˇ¨
amidst the already excessively
heavy workload,
it is difficult to proceed with proper teaching
and professional practice.
Actions
Requested ˇV the authorities and the teaching
profession should cooperate:-
- To
work on a series of policies and measures promptly
so as to solve the structural bottleneck
problem, and to alleviate the excessively heavy
workload. To stop those policies that add difficulties
to education, while working on measures that
can both lessen the difficulties and ensure education
quality.
- To provide a comparatively secure and
respectful environment, so that each and every
teacher can
concentrate on their teaching.
- To provide an
intelligence-technology intensive and education
knowledge intensive central platform
so as to support the teaching and school-based
management of all school practitioners. That
would enable them to obtain the latest expert
knowledge and technical support for their
endeavours in achieving innovation and improvement.
|
(2)
The Education Environment
Areas of Affirmation: Considerable resources have
been put into education reforms (e.g. professional
development for principals and teachers, NET scheme,
development grant for schools).
Areas of Concern:-
- High-profile publicizing
issues, like LPAT failing rate, posting school assessment
results on the
web, has resulted in demand for ˇ§non-professionalˇ¨
accountability
to the media. That has even led to irrational
societal phenomenon of schools and teachers being
besieged.
- Reinforcing the negative image of schools and
teachers.
- Reinforcing the misunderstanding
of parents and the public related to education,
thus
further
undermining
their confidence in schools and teachers.
Actions
Requested ˇV the authorities and the teaching
profession should cooperate:-
- To establish long-term
policies and concrete measures promptly so as to
enhance the image and status
of the teaching profession.
- To conduct community
projects for parents and the public, so as to strengthen
the confidence
of parents
and the community towards education.
- To extend
the alliance and partnership network of education
for implementing education reforms
and strengthening
the professional status of teachers.
|
(3)
The Formulation and Implementation of Education
Reform Policies
Areas of Affirmation: leaders and policy-makers at
different levels of education reform are very sincere
and hard-working.
Areas of Concern:
- Lack of thorough consultation with frontline
workers prior to deciding on and implementing
new measures in education reform. That has been
leading to disassociation among measures, goals
and reality in education, causing great disturbance
to schools and teachers.
- Information on education reform is not communicated
directly to schools. Messages delivered via
the media can be confusing, causing disturbance
to
schools.
- Lack of prioritization among different
new measures in education reform, while some
are
contradictory to the others, causing disturbance
to schools.
Actions
Requested ˇV the authorities and the teaching
profession should cooperate:-
- To
ensure greater professionalism in the leadership
of education reform. Decision making in education
reform should be based on professional knowledge
and wide consultation among frontline colleagues.
- To provide a comprehensive, systematic and
long term knowledge foundation for decision making
as well as for public discussion on education.
- To
set up an ˇ§Education Reform Review Committeeˇ¨
promptly, so as:-
a) To conduct a comprehensive assessment
and in-depth review of the prevailing education
reform and to reorient it if needed.
b) To re-assess and review the existing circumstances
of education in Hong Kong; and to conduct
in-depth analysis of the structural bottleneck
and difficulties.
Also, to evaluate existing and foreseeable
crises and work on corresponding strategies.
c) To conduct a comprehensive review of the
existing and coming policies or initiatives
in education
reform in relation to their relative urgency,
priority, scale and cost-effectiveness.
19 March 2004
|
Note:
This list does not represent the views
of any institutions organizing this conference. |
|
|
Back
to the Main Page
Last
Revised: 30 March 2004. The
views expressed at the Conference and at this website
do not represent the views of The Hong Kong Institute
of Education nor its management. The Hong Kong Institute
of Education will not be liable for any claims, demands
and damages arising from or in connection with the expression
or publication of such views.
|
|
|
