Re-thinking the Education
Reform: People, Process,
Priority and Professionalism
Principals’ Conference
19 March 2004
Important policy documents since
1997
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“Quality school education – quality indicators,
quality assurance, quality management, quality
incentives, quality teachers”
EC 7, 1997
“Transforming schools into dynamic and
accountable professional learning
communities – school-based management
consultation document”
Adv Com. on SBM, 2000
Important policy documents since
1997
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“Learning for life, learning through life – reform
proposals for the education system in HK,
Education Blueprint for the 21st Century”
EC, 2000
“Education reform measures – primary one
admission system, secondary one admission
system, “through-train” model, Basic
Competency Assessments”
ED, 2001
Development since 1997 from EC 7
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Quality teachers – CPD of principals and
teachers; requirements for English and PTH
teachers
Quality indicators and assurance – school
development and accountability framework
(SSE and ESR)
Quality management – Education
(Amendment) Bills
Quality Education Fund
Development since 1997 from
Reform Proposal of EC 2000
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Reform in curriculum and assessment
Change in primary and secondary on admission system
Creation of “through-train” model
BCA
Academic structure of secondary education from
“5+2+3” to “3+3+4”
Increase in number of post-secondary places to 60%
Concern and Challenges –
1) Implementing reforms: confusion between the
ends and the means
a. Academic structure of secondary education
- lack of understanding of educational
rationale
b. School self evaluation
- lack of frontline participation
e.g. perception surveys, CPD of teachers
Concern and Challenges –
2) Teacher supply and morale
a. Possible shortage in supply
i) 348 Principals retiring or leaving from
2000/01 to 20003/04;
ii) New qualified and quality English
and PTH teachers;
iii) EMI teachers
Concern and Challenges –
2) Teacher supply and morale
b. Negative feelings and low morale
i)
ii)
iii)
Demands from all sides, feel heavy work
pressure
Decline in student population – teacher
redundancy
Low sense of achievement and joy of success
Concern and Challenges –
3) The press and the public
a. Disclosure of incomplete and inaccurate
information
i) Have we made positive and rightful use of
the media/press, serving to the best
interest of education and society, in its role
to properly, accurately and ethically report
the information?
Concern and Challenges –
3) The press and the public
a. Disclosure of incomplete and inaccurate
information
ii) Why do we look to the press as the
“authority of information”, is there no other
more formal or appropriate channel of
information, or channel for communication
between the decision makers and the
education community?
Concern and Challenges –
3) The press and the public
a. Disclosure of incomplete and inaccurate
information
iii) Why do we accept the information from the
press without critically assessing the
truthfulness and viability of ideas – are
we lack of critical thinking or have we
simply accepted the irrationality of policies?
Concern and Challenges –
3) The press and the public
b.
Negative public perception
- Perceived decline in teacher language proficiency and
general student quality
- Parents sending children for overseas studies
- Quality assurance reports
- Bullying and violence in schools
Rethinking the Education Reform:
1) People – teacher and education leader
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Teacher as target of change and change agent
Teacher to be a change agent
- time and space;
- clear and consistent direction and
commitment from the leadership;
- support and encouragement;
- contribution being valued and appreciated
Rethinking the Education Reform:
1) People – teacher and education leader
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Education leaders to provide visionary and
empathetic leadership
- with educational values, vision, direction, make
policy on sound educational principles and best
practices
- unite but not divide, appreciate diversity and
creativity, build resonance and synergy, shoulder
criticism and mistakes, celebrate and share the joy of
success
Rethinking the Education Reform:
2) Priority
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How close is it to what schools need and want? Whose
need or whose wants an initiative aims to satisfy?
How pivotal and direct, how far is the point of action
to the point of effect in bringing out student quality
learning?
How much direct learning and development is involved?
How much administrative work and documentation,
and work not directly related to learning are involved?
Rethinking the Education Reform:
3) Process
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Early participation of schools and teachers to build
shared knowledge and understanding of the essence
and spirit, to develop ownership, commitment and
synergy
To acquire the historical perspective and knowledge to
distinguish between the ends and the means
Regular forums to brief on progress, issues and
problems, as part of feedback loop to policy makers for
forward planning, as direct communication channels to
address misconception leading to negative perception
Rethinking the Education Reform:
4) Professionalism
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from making immature politically-driven promises to
well-studied and long-term planning based on
educational rationale
from bureaucratic and administrative expedience,
procedural concerns to real interest in student learning,
teacher and school development
from control and monitoring to creation of conditions
and environment conducive to school development
with trust and respect for professional judgment
Rethinking the Education Reform:
4) Professionalism
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from compliance to a set of prescribed standards,
rules and regulations to concern and focus on
students and school development
from a quick-fix or short-term problem solving
approach to long-term planning for sustainability
in development
from restriction to liberation, from uniformity to
individuality, from one specified route to the goal
to many routes to the same goal
We need visionary and professional
leaders
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have clear vision and direction;
can establish mutual trust and respect, and instil
confidence and pride in the profession;
engage in constant dialogue and collaborative
partnership with their education communities;
We need visionary and professional
leaders
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have carefully thought-out long term plans and
implementation strategies which are consciously
prioritized in terms of both importance and
effectiveness;
provide support measures to build the capacity
of schools and teachers.
With People, Priority, Process and
Professionalism,
We will make a difference through and with the
education reform
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THANK YOU