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Following is a question by the Hon Yeung Sum and a reply by the Secretary for Education and Manpower, Professor Arthur K C Li, in the Legislative Council today (December 6):
Question:
Will the Government inform this Council:
(a) of the latest progress of the longitudinal pilot study, which started in the 2004/2005 school year, on small class teaching at primary one and two levels in 37 primary schools;
(b) whether it has assessed the effectiveness of the small class teaching scheme, which started in the 2005/2006 school year, in primary schools with a high concentration of disadvantaged students; if it has, of the assessment results; and
(c) whether it will consider extending the above study and scheme to other grades in primary schools and secondary schools, as well as to all other subjects besides Chinese Language, English Language and Mathematics?
Reply:
Madam President,
(a) The study on small class teaching (the Study) is progressing according to schedule, under the guidance of our consultant Professor Maurice Galton and the supervision of the Steering Committee. We have been collecting qualitative and quantitative data from participating schools regularly to assess the learning process and learning outcome of the first and second cohorts of Primary One (P1) students who were admitted to the 37 pilot schools in the 2004/05 and 2005/06 school years respectively. In the 2006/07 school year, the two cohorts of students are studying in small classes at Primary Three (P3) and Primary Two (P2) levels respectively. These students will continue their study in "regular classes" of comparatively larger class size when they proceed to Primary Four (P4) and P3 in the 2007/08 school year. We will continue to collect data about their learning in these "regular classes" for analyses. The final report of the Study is expected to be completed at the end of 2008.
Teachers need to adapt their pedagogy in order to optimise the benefits of small class teaching. To this end, our school support team has been providing teachers participating in the Study with professional training and support through seminars, workshops, study tours, learning circles, as well as school visits for collaborative lesson planning and school-based workshops. The consultant has also been conducting lesson observations regularly, sharing his views with schools and discussing with them the pedagogy they adopt. Feedback from the schools has been positive.
(b) We have also commissioned Professor Galton as consultant to assess the effectiveness of the small class teaching scheme for primary schools with a high concentration of disadvantaged students (the Scheme) launched in the 2005/06 school year. Since the Scheme has been operating for about a year only, it would be premature to assess its effectiveness at this stage. We plan to round up our evaluation of the Scheme at the same time when the above-mentioned Study is completed.
(c) Implementation of small class teaching should be premised upon the benefits to students. As overseas experience has yet to come to a conclusion on the effectiveness of small class teaching, and taking into account the fact that full-scale implementation of small class teaching will require considerable financial commitment in the long term, the Government has to be prudent in its strategic planning to ensure that the measure is value for money. While the Study is in progress, it is not appropriate to make random changes to its scope. To do so would affect the design of the Study and delay the completion date.
As regards the Scheme for disadvantaged students, our decision to go ahead before conclusion of the Study was purely based on overseas findings that the effects of small class teaching would be more significant on disadvantaged students at junior primary levels. We are of the view that it is worthwhile to make an early attempt to help those students strengthen their learning at Key Stage 1 (P1 to P3) through small class teaching to ameliorate their weak family support. The Scheme is also in line with the Government's pledge to alleviate poverty. The Scheme targets at the actual needs of a specific group of students. Whether the Scheme should extend to other grade levels or subjects will hinge on the results of the holistic review of both the Study and the Scheme.
Ends/Wednesday, December 6, 2006
Issued at HKT 12:59
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