Education in Hong Kong has a similar system to that of the United Kingdom, in particular the English education system of Hong Kong was modernized by the British in 1861. The Education Bureau ( Jyutping: gaau3 yuk6 guk6 abbr EDB) is responsible for Education policies in Hong Kong. Established in 1977, the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority ( HKEAA,) (previously known as Hong Kong Examinations Authority HKEA) administers the Education in Hong Kong has a similar system to that of the United Kingdom, in particular the English education system of Hong Kong was modernized by the Hong Kong Academic Aptitude Test (HKAAT 香港學業能力測驗 commonly known as 學能測驗 was a standardized area-wide benchmarking examination conducted by the Education Education in Hong Kong has a similar system to that of the United Kingdom, in particular the English education system of Hong Kong was modernized by the The Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination (HKCEE 香港中學會考 is a standardized examination which most local students sit for at the end of their 5-year secondary education The Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination ( HKALE, 香港高級程度會考 or more commonly known as the A-level, conducted by the Hong Kong Examinations and The Hong Kong Advanced Supplementary Level Examination ( HKASLE, Chinese 香港高級補充程度會考 since 1994 is a qualification in Hong Kong The Joint University Programmes Admissions System ( Chinese 大學聯合招生辦法 or JUPAS (聯招 in Hong Kong is a unified system for applying The Early Admission Scheme (or simply " EAS " held by the University Grants Committee in Hong Kong SAR, China, enables students to See also List of higher education institutions in Hong Kong Higher Education in Hong Kong means any education higher than Secondary education, including professional The English Schools Foundation ( Chinese 英基學校協會 abbreviated ESF or 英基 is an organisation that runs 20 educational institutions most of which are The Culture of Hong Kong can best be described as a foundation that began with China, and then leaned West for much of the 20th century under constructive Hong Kong's highly favorable geographical position and Entrepot trading opportunities are wealth-generating assets The Geography of Hong Kong primarily consists of three main territories Hong Kong Island, Kowloon Peninsula, and the New Territories Hong Kong began as a coastal Island geographically located in southern China. Politics of Hong Kong takes place in a framework of a political system dominated by People's Republic of China, its own legislature the Chief Executive Education in the United Kingdom is organised separately in each of the countries of the United Kingdom with power over education in Scotland Wales and Northern Ireland being devolved Education in England is the responsibility of the Department for Children Schools and Families and the Department for Innovation Universities and Skills of the Hong Kong ( officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a territory located on China 's south coast on the Pearl River Delta, and borders The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Year 1861 ( MDCCCLXI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The system can be described as extremely competitive by global standards.

History

Prior to 1841, the territory we know today as Hong Kong was an extension of Imperial China for many centuries. Village schools were the main form of institutions in the territory, and schools were part of the Imperial China's educational system. These schools essentially had a single teacher who returned to mainland China during fishing season. Mainland China, Continental China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term synonymous with the area that is under the jurisdiction Some of these schools existed in areas like Chek Chu, Shek Pai Wan, Heung Kong Tsai and Wong Nai Chong^[1]. Stanley is a town and a tourist attraction in Hong Kong. It is a peninsula on the southeastern part of Hong Kong Island. Shek Pai Wan ( or Aberdeen Bay is a bay between Aberdeen of Hong Kong Island and Aberdeen Island. For the harbour serving the Scottish city of Aberdeen see Transport in Aberdeen. Happy Valley ( more popular form 跑馬地 lit horse racing ground former name 愉園 is a mostly residential suburb of Hong Kong, located in the north of Hong Kong One of the earliest schools with reliable records was Li Ying College established in 1075 in present day New Territories^[2]. Li-Ying College （ Traditional Chinese ： 力瀛書院 Hanyu Pinyin: Lì Yíng Shū Yuàn was one of the first schools established in Imperial Hong Kong New Territories, abbreviated to NT or NT, is a region in Hong Kong excluding Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and Stonecutters Island By 1860 Hong Kong had 20 village schools. Chinese who were wealthy did not educate their children in Hong Kong, instead they sent them back to the mainland for traditional Chinese education^[2]. The changes would come with the arrival of the British colonialization in 1841. The British Overseas Territories are fourteen territories that are under the Sovereignty of the United Kingdom, but which do not form part of the United Kingdom For the game see 1841 (board game. Year 1841 ( MDCCCXLI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link

At first Hong Kong's education came from Protestant and Catholic missionaries who provided social services. Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. Catholic is an Adjective derived from the Greek adjective '' / 'katholikos' meaning "whole" or "complete". A missionary is a member of a Religion who works to convert those who do not share the missionary's faith someone who proselytizes. Italian missionaries began to provide boy-only education to British and Chinese youth in 1843^[3]. Single-sex education ( SSE) is the practice of conducting Education where male and female students attend separate classes or in separate buildings Year 1843 ( MDCCCXLIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common By 1861 Frederick Stewart would become "The Founder of Hong Kong Education" for integrating a modern western-style education model into the Colonial Hong Kong school system^[4]. Year 1861 ( MDCCCLXI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Dr Frederick Stewart (1836 - 1889 was the Colonial Secretary in Hong Kong. One of the much contested debate was whether schools should offer Vernacular education, teaching in Chinese at all^[1]. Vernacular refers to the Native language of a country or a locality Education was considered a luxury for the elite and the rich. The first school to open the floodgate of western medical practice to the Far East was the Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese in 1887. The Far East is a term often used by people in the Western world to refer to the countries of East Asia. The Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese (Chinese 香港華人西醫書院 was the first college in Hong Kong to fully adopt and accept Western medical science ^[5] The push for Chinese education in a British system did not begin until the rise of social awareness of the May 4th Movement in 1919 and New Life Movement in 1934^[2][1]. Sinology in general use is the study of China and things related to China but especially in the American academic context refers more strictly to the study of classical language The May Fourth Movement ( was an anti- imperialist, cultural and political movement in early modern China. The New Life Movement (新生活運動 was set up by Chiang Kai-shek and his wife Soong May-ling in February 1934. Educating the poor did not became a priority until they accounted for the majority of the population. .

Finance issues were addressed in the 1970s^[6]. 1970s in Hong Kong underwent many changes that shaped its future A small group of protesters of South Asian origin marched through central Hong Kong demanding more schooling in the English language on June 3, 2007^[7]

Format

A group of students having a computer lesson

Following the introduction of the comprehensive school system in the 1960s in the UK, children in Hong Kong transformed from the old education system to the new^[6][8]. Events 350 - Roman usurper Nepotianus, of the Constantinian dynasty, proclaims himself Roman Emperor, entering Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. A comprehensive school is a Secondary school and State school for children from the age of 11 to at least 16 that does not select children on the basis of academic Education listed as compulsory below are generally required by law.

British System before 1960

British System after 1960

British System after 1971

Current 2007 Format

School Systems

A co-ed secondary school playground

Culture

The mainstream education system in Hong Kong has often been described as "spoon-fed" (Chinese: 填鴨式教育). ( German, literally means "children's garden" is a form of education for young children which serves as a transition from home to the commencement of more formal schooling The Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination (HKCEE 香港中學會考 is a standardized examination which most local students sit for at the end of their 5-year secondary education The Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination ( HKALE, 香港高級程度會考 or more commonly known as the A-level, conducted by the Hong Kong Examinations and An academic major, major concentration, concentration, or simply major is mainly a U Higher education is Education that is provided by universities, vocational universities, Community colleges Liberal arts colleges A bachelor's degree is usually an Undergraduate Academic degree awarded for a course or major that generally lasts for three four or in some cases and A degree is any of a wide range of status levels conferred by institutions of Higher education, such as universities, normally as the result of successfully completing Mixed-sex education, (or just Mixed education) also known as Coeducation, is the integrated education to males and females at the same school facilities Students' survival in the system is essentially placed on heavy rote learning, which is sometimes better suited for exams than for pro-active learning. Rote learning is a Learning technique which avoids understanding of a subject and instead focuses on memorization. A test or an examination (or "exam" is an Assessment, often administered on paper or on the computer, intended to measure the test-takers' or Cram schools in Hong Kong have also become a popular standard in parallel to regular education. Cram schools in Hong Kong are referred to as Tutorial schools ( Jyutping: bou2 zaap6 se5 A heavy emphasis is placed on the Ranking systems at an early age. A ranking is a relationship between a set of items such that for any two items the first is either "ranked higher than" "ranked lower than" or "ranked equal Competition among students are fierce, since job and advanced-school placements are rigorously filtered by rank results.

Practically all school students in Hong Kong wear uniforms. A uniform is a set of standard Clothing worn by members of an organization while participating in that organization's activity Common restrictions include strict dress codes, behaviours, and what items one can carry to school. Most schools are entitled to search a student's belongings without any rationales.

Point system

Schools in Hong Kong typically have strict codes of discipline. An overwhelming majority of schools employ "Demerit Points System" (Chinese: 記缺點制度) as a formal record of student offences in disciplinary areas. In law an offence is a violation of the Penal law. An offence can range from a simple Misdemeanor (e These statistics will appear on a student's report card, and sometimes testimonials on whether he or she can graduate. A report card is a measure of a student's performance In most places the report card is issued by the school to the student or the student's parents twice or four times yearly A typical example of a current institution using a demerit point system is Shatin Tsung Tsin Secondary School. Most schools will record demerit points (Chinese: 記缺點) at the most basic violation. The typical point deduction accrue from a minor offence (Chinese: 記小過), while 3 minor offences mount up to 1 major offence (Chinese: 記大過). Once a student has accrued 3 or more major offences, he or she is automatically suspended (or expelled if over compulsory education age) from school. The point system has been known to carry substantial weight, which ultimately affects one's report card performance, and controversially jeopardizing future career prospects^[9].

Discipline

There is a large discrepancy as to what behaviours are tolerated between different schools. Most schools would take note of theft, assault, or triad activities, while some schools are sensitive to more minor violations. In Criminal law, theft (also known as stealing or filching) is the illegal taking of another person's Property without that person's freely-given Assault is a Crime of Violence against another person. In some Jurisdictions including Australia and New Zealand, Triad ( also known as) is a term that describes many branches of Chinese underground society and/or organizations based in Hong Kong and Macau and also There are also cases of teachers abusing their powers of giving out demerit points based on incompatibilities with individuals^[10]. Over time, strict reputations often get associated with schools. For example, graduation at Carmel Pak U Secondary School is semi-jokingly refer to as a release from prison (standard Chinese: 出獄; Cantonese slang: 出冊). Carmel Pak U Secondary School ( Traditional Chinese: 迦密柏雨中學; Jyutping: gaa1 mat6 paak3 jyu5 zung1 hok6 is a Christian fundamentalism Currently, the Education and Manpower Bureau is powerless against teachers that exercise dominance-type authority. The Education Bureau ( Jyutping: gaau3 yuk6 guk6 abbr EDB) is responsible for Education policies in Hong Kong. An appeal to authority or argument by authority is a type of argument in Logic called a fallacy Unlike corporal punishments, the acts are not technically illegal, but rather unethical and overlooked. Corporal punishment is the deliberate infliction of pain intended to Punish a person or change his/her behavior Common punishments include detentions and/or copying text passages from an unrealistic number of time.

Capacity

Many primary schools in Hong Kong offer half-day schooling, splitting by AM and PM to handle the demand. The two sessions are usually treated as separate school entities with 2 different headmasters and different sets of staff. Headmaster redirects here For the type of Transformers please see Headmaster (Transformers. To make up for the time of shortened half days, students are sometimes required to attend alternate Saturdays. Most primary schools are gradually moving to full school day systems as government policy aims to phase out half-day schooling over time as resource permits.

Due to the drop in birth rate in recent years, many primary schools were forced to cut classes, cut teachers and even close down. Crude birth rate is the natality or Childbirths per 1000 people per year There have been debates that one should seize the opportunity to promote small class teaching. Doing so could mitigate the pressure of teachers, class and school reductions, on top of improving ratio of students to teachers.

Qualifications: Professional teacher preparations

The Hong Kong Institute of Education (HKIEd), under the aegis of the University Grants Committee (UGC), aims at upgrading the quality of teaching professionals. The Hong Kong Institute of Education (Abbreviated HKIEd) is one of the eight subsidized tertiary institutes under the University Grants Committee of Hong Kong It offers a range of degree and postgraduate programmes as well as some sub-degree teacher education programmes targeted at pre-primary, primary and secondary levels. The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) and The University of Hong Kong (HKU) offer full-time and part-time degree and postgraduate programmes for in-service and pre-service teachers. The Chinese University of Hong Kong, commonly referred to as CUHK, is the second oldest university in Hong Kong The Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) also offers both undergraduate and postgraduate teacher education programmes on a full-time or part-time basis. Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU ( is a publicly-funded tertiary institution with a Christian education heritage The Open University of Hong Kong (OUHK) offers two in-service Bachelor of Education (Honours) degree programmes and two in-service Postgraduate Diploma in Education programmes for primary and secondary school teachers. The Open University of Hong Kong ( OUHK, OpenU,) is a Hong Kong university providing sub-degree degree and postgraduate courses leading to awards

Qualifications: Professional principals developments

Starting in 2002/03, all serving principals have to undertake continuing professional development activities for about 50 hours per year, adding up to a minimum of 150 hours in a 3-year cycle. Newly appointed principals in their first two years are required to undertake specific continuing professional development activities. Starting from the 2004/05 school year, aspiring principals will have to attain the "Certification for Principalship".

School Types

Early Education

King's College, a secondary school in Hong Kong. King’s College ( Chinese 英皇書院 is a secondary school in Sai Ying Pun, Hong Kong, and was founded on its present site in 1926

Pre-school / Nursery / Kindergarten Education

Before Christmas season in 2006, the Legislative Council's finance committee in Hong Kong approved the controversial HK$2 billion pre-school scheme to subsidize early childhood education and to ease the burden of raising children in HK. Under the subsidy plan, parents whose children study in kindergarten will get an education voucher of HK$13,000 per student per year from the 2007-2008 school year, provided the school fees did not exceed HK$24,000 per year for half-day kindergartens or HK$48,000 for whole-day kindergartens. A school voucher, also called an education voucher, is a certificate issued by the government by which parents can pay for the Education of their children at a

Primary Education

Primary education in Hong Kong covers a wide curriculum. Core subjects include Chinese, English, and Mathematics with broad emphasis on Music, Physical Education and Arts. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Mathematics is the body of Knowledge and Academic discipline that studies such concepts as Quantity, Structure, Space and Music is an Art form in which the medium is Sound organized in Time. The arts is a broad subdivision of Culture, composed of many expressive disciplines. Formerly there were 3 knowledge-oriented subjects: Social Studies, Health Education, and Science. In the 1996-1997 academic year the Education Department amalgamated these subjects into the new subject of General Studies. Depending on the religious background of the school, Religious Education or Bible Studies could be incorporated. In Secular usage religious education is the Teaching of a particular Religion (although in England the term religious instruction would refer In Christianity, Bible study is the study of the Bible by ordinary people as a personal religious or spiritual practice. The teaching medium in most of the local primary schools is Chinese with English as a second language. After the transfer of the sovereignty of Hong Kong in 1997, only a handful of primary schools and secondary schools are able to keep English as the medium of instruction under new government policies. The transfer of sovereignty of Hong Kong from the United Kingdom to the People's Republic of China, often referred to as the Handover Primary education is the first stage of Compulsory education. High school is the name used in some parts of the world (in particular Scotland, North America and Australia) to describe an institution Medium of instruction is the Language that is used in teaching Those schools are generally referred to as English as Medium of Instruction schools (EMI).

Secondary Education

Secondary education in Hong Kong is largely based on the English schooling system, with single-sex education being widespread. Hong Kong ( officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a territory located on China 's south coast on the Pearl River Delta, and borders England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Single-sex education ( SSE) is the practice of conducting Education where male and female students attend separate classes or in separate buildings In Form 4, most students of grammar schools are required to choose between streams, namely "Science", "Arts" and "Commerce", depending on the school policy. A grammar school is one of several different types of School in the history of education in the United Kingdom and other English-speaking countries The end of Form 5 leads to the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination (HKCEE). The Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination (HKCEE 香港中學會考 is a standardized examination which most local students sit for at the end of their 5-year secondary education The exam is equivalent to the UK's GCSEs or O-levels exams. The General Certificate of Secondary Education ( GCSE) is the name of an academic qualification awarded in a specified subject generally taken in a number of subjects by The O-level (Ordinary Level is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education (GCE

Students obtaining a satisfactory grade in the HKCEE will be promoted to Form 6. The Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination (HKCEE 香港中學會考 is a standardized examination which most local students sit for at the end of their 5-year secondary education The Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination (HKALE) then acts as the de facto university entrance examination akin to the UK's GCE A-levels. The Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination ( HKALE, 香港高級程度會考 or more commonly known as the A-level, conducted by the Hong Kong Examinations and The A-level, short for Advanced Level, is a General Certificate of Education qualification in England, Northern Ireland and Wales, At this level streaming is even more rigidly specialized dividing into Mathematics/Engineering stream, Biology/Medical stream or Arts stream for example.

Prerequisites for university admissions include Grade "E" or better in the HKALE Chinese Language and Culture and Use of English subjects. Sinology in general use is the study of China and things related to China but especially in the American academic context refers more strictly to the study of classical language English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of Literatures written in the English language (including literatures from the U The Joint University Programmes Admissions System (JUPAS) determines admission to tertiary institutions largely based on HKALE results. The Joint University Programmes Admissions System ( Chinese 大學聯合招生辦法 or JUPAS (聯招 in Hong Kong is a unified system for applying Higher education is Education that is provided by universities, vocational universities, Community colleges Liberal arts colleges In addition, students achieving more than 6 'A's in their HKCEEs are eligible to apply for early admissions through the Early Admissions Scheme (EAS) including The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), The University of Hong Kong (HKU) and The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST). The Early Admission Scheme (or simply " EAS " held by the University Grants Committee in Hong Kong SAR, China, enables students to The Chinese University of Hong Kong, commonly referred to as CUHK, is the second oldest university in Hong Kong The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (often abbreviated HKUST is a public university located in Hong Kong

Higher Education

HK Institute of Vocational Education

Main article: Higher Education in Hong Kong

Tertiary Education

With 8 universities and several other tertiary institutions in just one city, tertiary education plays a key role in the education system. The Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education (IVE ( was formed from a combination of 7 industrial colleges(Technical Institute and 2 technical colleges in 1999. See also List of higher education institutions in Hong Kong Higher Education in Hong Kong means any education higher than Secondary education, including professional Higher education is Education that is provided by universities, vocational universities, Community colleges Liberal arts colleges Of the 36,660 students who attended the HKALE in 2003, 18,049 (49. 2%) of them fulfilled their general entry requirement to their respective university, usually a pass in Chinese Language and Culture and Use of English, plus another two A-level subjects (or one A-level subject and two AS-level subjects). Sinology in general use is the study of China and things related to China but especially in the American academic context refers more strictly to the study of classical language English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of Literatures written in the English language (including literatures from the U Students who sit for the HKALE first time have a success rate of 75. 8%. There are 19 different Advanced Level and 20 different AS-level subjects available^[11]. The cost of undergraduate, full-degree, full-time programmes tend to be around HK$40,000 - 50,000 a year, with the cost being higher for engineering and medical students. The reason for this relatively low cost is due to heavy government subsidisation. Being an international city, Hong Kong's tertiary institutions attract many foreign exchange students from US, UK, Switzerland, Canada, Italy, Singapore to name a few. A student exchange program is a program in which a Student, typically in secondary or Higher education, chooses to live in a foreign country to learn Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Singapore

The following is a table comparing HK tertiary students enrollment in various countries. It also provides a ratio comparison to the number that enrolled in local Hong Kong universities^[3].

Vocational and Post-secondary Education

Commerce stream in secondary schools are considered vocational in nature. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Taiwan ( Taiwanese: Tâi-oân/Tāi-oân (historically 大灣/台員/大員/台圓/大圓/台窩灣 is an Island in East Asia. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Hong Kong ( officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a territory located on China 's south coast on the Pearl River Delta, and borders Vocational education or Vocational Education and Training (VET also called Career and Technical Education (CTE prepares learners for jobs that are based Students in the Commerce stream would usually enter the workplace to gain practical work experience by this point. Further education pursuit in Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education or universities abroad are common. The Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education (IVE ( was formed from a combination of 7 industrial colleges(Technical Institute and 2 technical colleges in 1999. The Manpower Development Committee (MDC) advices the government on coordination, regulation and promotion of the sector. In addition, the Vocational Training Council (VTC) ensures the level of standard is met through the "Apprentice Ordinance". The VTC also operate three skills-centres for people with disabilities.

International Education

International institutions like German Swiss International School and French International School continue to teach with English as the primary language. Agence pour l’enseignement français à l’étranger (AEFE or the Agency for French Teaching Abroad is a national public agency under the administration of the Ministry of Foreign International school students rarely take Hong Kong public exams. British students take GCSE, IGCSE and A-levels. The General Certificate of Secondary Education ( GCSE) is the name of an academic qualification awarded in a specified subject generally taken in a number of subjects by The International General Certificate of Secondary Education, or IGCSE, is an international Qualification for School Students. The A-level, short for Advanced Level, is a General Certificate of Education qualification in England, Northern Ireland and Wales, US students take SATs. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The SAT Reasoning Test (formerly Scholastic Aptitude Test and Scholastic Assessment Test) is a standardized test for College admissions in the Other international student follow International Baccalaureate policies, and enter universities through non-JUPAS direct entry. The International Baccalaureate (IB Diploma Programme (DP is an Educational programme examined in one of three languages ( English, French or Spanish International students apply on a per school basis, whereas Hong Kong local students have the advantage of submitting 1 application for multiple local universities as a JUPAS applicant.

Non-Mainstream Education

Adult education

Adult education is popular, since it gives middle-aged adults a chance to obtain a tertiary degree. The concept was not common several decades ago. The EMB has commissioned two non-profit school operators to provide evening courses. The Education Bureau ( Jyutping: gaau3 yuk6 guk6 abbr EDB) is responsible for Education policies in Hong Kong. Both operators have set up fee remission schemes to help the adult learners in need of financial assistance. Adult education courses also provide Vocational Training Council through various universities and private institutions. The Open University of Hong Kong is one establishment for mature students. The Open University of Hong Kong ( OUHK, OpenU,) is a Hong Kong university providing sub-degree degree and postgraduate courses leading to awards

Education for newly-arrived-children (NAC)

The EMB provides education services for newly arrived children, which includes children from the Mainland, non-Chinese speaking children and returnees. Mainland China, Continental China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term synonymous with the area that is under the jurisdiction A Hong Kong returnee is a resident of Hong Kong who emigrated to another country lived for an extended period of time in his or her adopted home and then subsequently Free "Induction Programmes" of up to 60 hours have been offered to NAC by non-government organisations. The EMB also provides a 6 month full-time "Initiation Programme" incorporating both academic and non-academic support services, for NAC before they are formally placed into mainstream schools. Hei-Hang Hayes Tang (2002) provided a good sociology of education thesis on the NACs' adaptation and school performance

Standings

In the OECD's international assessment of student performance, Hong Kong has been ranked one of the highest scorers in 2003 and 2006. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. In 2003, 15-year-olds from Hong Kong came first in mathematics, and third in science, worldwide.

Criticism

With the advent of education reform there is a greater emphasis on group projects, open-ended assignments on top of traditional homework. The current workload of a primary student in Hong Kong includes approximately 3 to 4 hours of schoolwork nightly. Along with extracurricular activities, Hong Kong's education has become synonymous for leaning towards quantity. Extracurricular activities are activities performed by Students that fall outside the realm of the normal Curriculum of school or university education As early as March 1987, education advisory inspectors became concerned with the excessive amounts of "mechanical work and meaningless homework"^[12]. Year 1987 ( MCMLXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar) In particular, history education has been recognized as ineffective, with critics claiming that the curriculum is not capable of delivering a sense of identity^[12].

Some have criticized the system for having too narrow of a stream focus, too early on. Alan Leong of the Hong Kong Legislative Council pointed out in a guest lecture to CUHK students that science stream education at secondary level, are incapable of participating in meaningful discussions on history, arts, or literature. Alan Leong Kah Kit, SC ( (born 22 February 1958 is a member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong, representing the Kowloon East geographical The Legislative Council ( LegCo) is the Unicameral Legislature of Hong Kong. The Chinese University of Hong Kong, commonly referred to as CUHK, is the second oldest university in Hong Kong Vice versa journalists of Arts stream background are incapable of accurately discussing technological issues. The narrow focus has been a concern.

Future

At the time of writing March 2007, a new Senior Secondary School curriculum has been promulgated. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Secondary education will move away from the English model of five years secondary schooling plus two years of university matriculation to the Chinese model of three years of junior secondary plus another three years of senior secondary, with the Form 1 intake in the 2006-07 academic year the first crop to graduate under the new system. Streaming of classes according to subjects offered will be abolished, and the two public exams HKCEE and HKALE will be merged into one public exam, called the Hong Kong Diploma in Secondary Education, sat at the end of the Senior Secondary 3 (Form 6 under the existing system), and expanding school based assessment. The Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE Traditional Chinese: 香港中學文憑考試 will be the only public exam in the new 3-3-4 education system to be introduced University education will extend from three years to four.

See also

• Education in mainland China
• Education by country
• List of Joint School Society in Hong Kong
• List of schools in Hong Kong
• Hong Kong Diploma in Secondary Education
• Direct Subsidy Scheme
• A Passage A Day

References