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The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat:
The Legislative Council Secretariat (the Secretariat) today (July 24) released a Research Brief on "Support for students of different learning abilities" to study the different measures adopted by Hong Kong and Singapore to early identify primary students with learning difficulties and discuss the special features of their respective secondary school curriculum.
The Research Brief suggested that early intervention may help students with learning difficulties progress from one stage of their learning journey to the next, and the offer of technical-vocational education in addition to the traditional academic curriculum in the secondary school education may also better meet the needs of students of different learning abilities.
The Research Brief also finds that for Primary One (P1) Students with learning difficulties, they are identified through teacher observation in the case of Hong Kong. In contrast, Singapore performs a screening test on all P1 students.
For secondary students of different learning abilities, Hong Kong categories them into three different bands for allocation of Secondary One places. Yet Singapore offers three differentiated courses within the same school to cater for students of different learning abilities.
For secondary students who are more technically inclined, Hong Kong has made available the Applied Learning subjects to provide vocational-oriented training for them. However, these subjects are of little appeal to the students. In contrast, Singapore offers the Normal (Technical) course which provides the more technically inclined students with an industry-ready exit qualification for jobs, a pathway for higher technical education and a viable alternative route for universities.
This is the seventh issue of the Research Brief prepared by the Secretariat's Research Office of the Information Services Division with a view to enhancing information support for Members. It is a concise summary aiming at explaining a subject matter which may be of interest to Members and the general public.
The Research Brief is now available on the Legislative Council Website at www.legco.gov.hk/research-publications/english/1314rb07-support-for-students-of-different-learning-abilities-20140724-e.pdf.
Ends/Thursday, July 24, 2014
Issued at HKT 14:05
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