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The following is the speech by the Director of Education, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung at the Hong Kong Subsidised Secondary School Council 30th Anniversary Education Conference today (November 27):

Mr Hui, Distinguished Speakers, Principals, Teachers, Colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is my honour to be invited to officiate at the Closing Ceremony of this Conference. I feel privileged to have the last word on such an important and meaningful occasion. But I also find this a daunting task as every word of wisdom and educational value must have already been spoken and digested over the last two days. I am therefore left with very little room to say anything which will add value to this event. So, please bear with me if I do not sound particularly fresh and innovative in what I am going to say.

Let me first extend my warmest congratulations to the Hong Kong Subsidised Secondary School Council on its 30th Anniversary. My gratitude also goes to the Council for organising this education Conference. The theme of this Conference, "Meeting Students' Needs : Curriculum and Learning in the New Age", is not only well chosen but also most timely. At a time when Hong Kong is embarking on major education and curriculum reforms, nothing can be more important than meeting students' needs in a knowledge-based society and globalising economy. And nothing can be more important than revamping our curriculum and modernising our teaching and learning practices to realise this paradigm shift.

The past two days have given us much wholesome food for thought in enhancing the quality education for our students. To underpin the curriculum reform, professional input and evidence-based practices are essential for capacity building of quality assurance. It is not enough only to generate experiences within the local context. We need to look beyond Hong Kong. To acquire and nurture an international outlook, it is necessary for us to bring in overseas education experts so that we can learn from, and share, experiences elsewhere. Indeed, education knows no geographical boundaries. Education is the cement that binds the world together. It also reduces poverty, promotes cultural exchanges and facilitates international business.

On behalf of the Education Department, I wish to thank all the renowned scholars, including Madam Ang Siew Hong from Singapore, Professor Ference Marton from Sweden, Professor Ou Yung-sheung from Taipei, Professor Sun Yuan-qing from Shanghai, Dr Alan Bain from Boston, and Professor Paul Morris from Hong Kong, for sharing with us their wisdom, valuable experience and thoughts in this Conference. We all know that we cannot just replicate their experiences, put the "Made in Hong Kong" labels on them and conveniently transplant them to our own schools. However, good practices elsewhere have inspired us to create more meaningful and innovative learning experiences for our students and enhance their capabilities to learn how to learn, having regard to the local context. Education issues are complex and inter-related; and curriculum development must be an on-going improvement process. I am sure that this Conference has given our reform efforts a shot in the arm.

I would like to take this opportunity to stress that the Hong Kong SAR Government is totally committed to improving the quality of our school education and to pressing ahead with the current education and curriculum reforms. In fact, education tops the Hong Kong SAR Government's policy agenda. Let me cite a few supporting statistics. First, education is the largest expenditure item of the Government, accounting for 23 per cent of its recurrent spending. Second, since Hong Kong's reunification with Mainland China in 1997, the total Government spending on education has surged by a hefty 46 per cent -- from $38 billion to $55.3 billion. This is a very substantial increase, bearing in mind that the local economy has been rather sluggish and in a deflationary state. Third, in his 2001 Policy Address delivered on October 10, the Chief Executive stated in no uncertain terms and I quote "Regardless of Hong Kong's economic situation, you can rest assured that in the next five to ten years, spending on education will continue to increase year by year." This is a firm, clear and long-term commitment to investing heavily in our education. In short, the Government sees education as a long-term investment, not expenditure. Indeed, at a time when many sectors of the economy are shrinking in face of the current economic downturn, education stands out as just about the only area which continues to enjoy a steady, high speed growth.

To tie in with the reform, even the Education Department has to change its mindset. We are undergoing a major business re-engineering, restructuring and reculturing processes. Our role has changed from that of the time-honoured regulator to that of a facilitator and critical friend in helping the development of individual schools. We are now far more customer-focused and result-oriented than ever before. We see ourselves more as a partner with frontline principals and teachers than as a prefect or monitor! Of course, we need to continue to master new paradigms and acquire new perspectives and skills to chart our way forward. And we are determined to work closely with all educational groups and front-line educators to build a partnership that would ensure the success of our reform and improve the quality of our education.

It has been just over a year since Hong Kong embarked on education reforms. I am happy to say that we have made some initial success, as witnessed by the increasing number of schools trying out innovative teaching practices and the ever growing number of teachers turning up at various experience-sharing events in recent months. The response of the teaching profession at the "Knowledge Fair on Assessment for Learning" organised by the Education Department a fortnight ago was so overwhelming that we had to stage two identical opening ceremonies within 30 minutes in two adjacent schools. Some 5 000 teachers turned up for the event. This is most heartening and augured well for education reform. It is particularly encouraging to see a number of well-established schools now breaking out of their "Splendid Isolation" and "Close Door Policy" to share their successful experiences and insights with other schools and to engage in professional collaboration. Last not least, there has been more quality, balanced and in-depth coverage on education in the local media as well as a greater interest displayed by parents and the business community on education reform.

Whilst the road to education reform is necessarily bumpy and the way ahead choppy, we have crossed the point of no return. We have truly taken off and are heading steadily in the right direction. As the Greek philosopher Aristotle said, "The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet". Let us all work with unity of mind and purpose for the sake of our next generation. For a child miseducated is a child lost. And we cannot afford any casualties, particularly as human capital is Hong Kong's only asset and if Hong Kong is to stay as a world-clsss city.

On this note, I wish the Hong Kong Subsidised Secondary School Council every success in the years ahead and many happy returns.

End/Tuesday, November 27, 2001

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