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The Education and Manpower Bureau (EMB) today (August 4) announced a series of measures, enabling secondary schools to make early preparations for a diversified senior secondary (SS) curriculum, before implementation of the 334 academic structure in 2009. The new curriculum will benefit Secondary One (S1) students of the current year and thereafter.
Speaking at a press briefing, the Secretary for Education and Manpower, Professor Arthur K C Li, said the new academic structure had gained wide support from the community and would provide a more diversified SS curriculum for students with varied needs, interests and abilities. "However, students can have real choice only if their schools are able to offer adequate subjects," Prof Li said.
"Now most schools have 24 to 30 classes, which is a desirable structure because the schools can then offer 15 subjects, including the four core subjects, and different combinations of subjects through flexible timetabling. Schools with at least 18 classes (or three classes for each level) also meet the minimum requirements."
"However, schools which operate at a smaller scale, with only one class or two at each level, can only offer a maximum of six elective subjects. This will inevitably limit students' learning opportunities. Such schools are few and we will make every effort to help them."
In dealing with this issue, the EMB will adopt three principles: students should have access to a broad and balanced curriculum and should be able to complete secondary education in the same school as far as practicable; schools should have a desirable and stable class structure; and the stability of the teaching force should be maintained, so that no good teachers will be out of job.
After consulting the education sector and parents' groups, the bureau decided to implement the following measures:
1. Adoption of relaxed criteria for approving classes
Under normal circumstances, 38 students will be allocated to each S1 class. For schools with redundant teachers, the basis of 35 students per class will be used for calculating the number of approved classes.
2. Reduction of class size to 24 students on average
For schools using 35 students per class as the basis for calculating the number of approved classes, if they operate three classes they can have as few as 24 students in each of the classes.
3. Stability of class structures to be maintained
The approved number of S1 and SS1 classes after the September headcount will be used for approving the S2 and S3 classes and SS2 and SS3 in the subsequent years for the same cohort of students.
4. Capping of student enrolment per class
Enrolment will be capped at 40 per class to avoid over-enrolment in individual schools which will affect students' learning and the enrolment in other schools.
5. Review of class size
The standard class size will be reviewed and adjusted in 2012/13.
6. Flexible arrangements for the retirement age of teachers
To cope with the shortfall in teacher supply in 2011/12, when students of the new and old systems co-exist, the EMB will be flexible about the retirement age of teachers having regard to the merit of individual cases.
7. Provision of various options for schools that operate less than three classes:
(i) injecting additional resources by the school sponsoring body to ensure that there are adequate choices of elective subjects for SS students;
(ii) merging/collaborating with other schools to provide students with adequate choices of elective subjects;
(iii) applying for Quality Assurance Special Review;
(iv) operating junior secondary classes based on a "per capita" subvention mode; or
(v) joining the Direct Subsidy Scheme or turning private.
"We believe the schools concerned will be able to pick a suitable option having regard to their actual needs and development plans," Prof Li said.
"Good teachers need not worry about unemployment. To support the implementation of the new SS structure, we will provide extra resources to create more than 1,000 posts. Moreover, there will be more than 6000 vacancies arising from natural wastage in the next five years. All in all, we estimate that there will be a shortfall of 1200 teachers when students of the old and new systems co-exist in 2011/12."
"We have pledged to conduct a review aimed at adjusting the number of students per class from 2012/13 onwards. In addition, we will render assistance to individual teachers in need, including implementing the Sabbatical Leave for Teacher Professional Development Scheme and the Early Retirement Scheme, as well as employing suitable surplus teachers to work in EMB on curriculum development or to give professional support to schools."
Prof Li added that those students admitted to S1 this September would be the first cohort to benefit from the new SS structure in four years' time, whereas Primary Six students would start choosing secondary schools from November onwards. Understandably, parents are most concerned about how schools were drawing up plans for the new SS curriculum.
He called on members of the education sector to put students' interests first. Everyone could then join forces to build up the 334 academic structure and come up with feasible plans, as early as possible, for the provision of a diversified curriculum.
Ends/Friday, August 4, 2006
Issued at HKT 17:28
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