Press Release

 

 

Opening of the Quality Education Fund Projects Expo

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Following is a speech by the Secretary for Education and Manpower, Mr Joseph W P Wong, at the Quality Education Fund Projects Expo today (Wednesday):

Mr Tung, Mr Koo, Ladies and Gentleman,

Since its establishment, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has, under the leadership of Mr Tung Chee Hwa, attached the utmost importance to education in which substantial resources has continuously been injected. In spite of the present economic downturn, the spending on education will still see substantive increase in the coming year. In fact, education is the most important social and economic investment for any place in the world. Hong Kong's future in the next century hinges entirely on how well we educate our young people.

We have recently received thousands of submissions in response to the consultation on educational aims launched by the Education Commission. This reflects the earnest expectation of the community on our education services. Indeed, the Hong Kong SAR Government's overall educational aim is to enhance the quality of education. To this end, our primary task has been to reform the present education system and improve its services.

We are taking essentially a three-pronged approach in the reform exercise. First, the Education Commission will carry out a thorough review on the whole education system. It will carefully study the curriculum, assessment process, admission of students at various learning stages, duration of study and the interface between various stages, and submits a package of consolidated recommendations to the Government. The consultation on educational aims I just mentioned forms the first stage of this review.

Secondly, we have decided to conduct a comprehensive reform of the Education Department covering its organisation, management and functions. This seeks to revitalize the Government's main executive organ of overseeing education services at the school level. Our aim is that the Department will implement more effectively various education programmes, and help the school sector to enhance the quality of teaching and learning.

Thirdly, we will actively promote school-based management and entrust the schools with sufficient power and accountability so that they can provide the most effective education service in every classroom, and ensure that every student can grow up happily and develop their full potential according to their individual character and aptitude.

The Quality Education Fund (QEF) is set up for the purpose of providing schools with additional one-off grants so as to encourage them to self-improve and innovate in tandem with the broad direction of our education reform. For example, the Consultation Document on the Aims of Education published by the Education Commission suggests that education should arouse students' interest in learning, develop their creativity, strengthen their commitment to the community and their country, and enhance their language proficiency and communication skills. These aims are realised in the many projects on exhibition today. These projects also demonstrate the efforts and commitment of our colleagues in the education sector. It is well worth your time to visit the booths.

Despite its short history of less than one year, the QEF has been successful in developing a new culture of initiating innovative improvements in schools in a bottom-up and pro-active manner. I hope the education sector will continue to make good use of the resources provided by the QEF in pursuit of the objective of quality education.

Thank you.

End/Friday, February 26, 1999

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