EDB releases Report on Promotion of STEM Education - Unleashing Potential in Innovation
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The promotion of STEM education was first proposed in the 2015 Policy Address and further supported in the 2016 Policy Address. It aims to develop students to become lifelong learners of science, technology and mathematics so that they can meet the challenges of the 21st century, and also to help nurture versatile talents in STEM-related areas to enhance the development of Hong Kong.
A spokesman for the EDB said, "We thank the school sector and other stakeholders for contributing valuable views and suggestions in response to the initial recommendations proposed in the consultation document. The general feedback about the promotion of STEM education gathered was positive and encouraging. Stakeholders generally agreed to the objectives of STEM education, which include enhancing students' interest in STEM-related disciplines and strengthening their ability to integrate and apply knowledge and skills, as well as nurturing their creativity, collaboration and problem-solving skills."
The EDB came up with six final recommendations for the promotion of STEM education, summarised below:
- Updating the curricula of the Science, Technology and Mathematics Education Key Learning Areas (KLAs), including KLA Curriculum Guides and relevant subject guides, with the focus on nurturing students' creativity, collaboration, problem-solving skills and innovativeness through student-centred pedagogies, and on paving the way for nurturing students' entrepreneurial spirit in senior secondary subjects such as applied learning courses;
- Strengthening the provision of quality learning experiences to students through support to schools on whole-school curriculum planning and collaboration with relevant organisations;
- Offering KLA-based and cross-KLA learning and teaching resource materials to schools to enhance the learning interest and effectiveness, and providing additional resources support for schools to cater to their school-based needs;
- Enhancing professional capacity, knowledge transfer and cross-fertilisation among schools and teachers for building communities of practice on STEM education;
- Synchronising contributions from different community key players to enhance the promotion of STEM education in the territory; and
- Adopting actions to continuously review the development of STEM education, consolidate good practices for dissemination and generate knowledge for transfer.
Details of the above recommendations are set out in the Report.
"Building on the consensus among different stakeholders in the promotion of STEM education and concerted efforts of schools and relevant partners, we have advanced to a new phase in the pursuit of excellence in education, empowering our students to unleash their innovative potential and equipping them with necessary knowledge, skills and attitudes to face the contemporary world with evolving developments in science and technology," the spokesman said.
The Report on Promotion of STEM Education - Unleashing Potential in Innovation can be accessed at the website (www.edb.gov.hk/renewal).
Ends/Monday, December 5, 2016
Issued at HKT 20:02
Issued at HKT 20:02
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