Progress Report on the Education Reform (2)

Section 5 : Admission Mechanism

(1) Reform of the Primary One Admission System

Target

To avoid using children's abilities as an admission criterion and to enhance fair opportunities for parents in choosing schools.

Last Year's Progress

• Primary 1 places for the 2003/04 school year have been allocated to applicants through the Discretionary Places Admission stage and Central Allocation stage in accordance with the short-term Primary One Admission (POA) mechanism recommended by the EC.
  
• The number of POA school nets for the 2003/04 school year has been adjusted to 55.
  
  

Tasks Ahead for the Coming Year

• To review the Points System before the implementation of the long-term POA mechanism.
  
• To continue to review the POA school nets where appropriate.
  

(2) Reform of the Secondary School Places Allocation (SSPA) System

Target

To reduce the labeling effects of allocation bands on schools and pupils and to promote the adoption of more diversified admission criteria for allocating Secondary One places.

Last Year's Progress

• The pre-set boy/ girl pupils' quotas in co-educational schools were abolished. Both boy and girl pupils have been grouped together throughout the whole process of Central Allocation.
  
• A 'Guidebook on Internal Assessments' was compiled to encourage diversified assessment modes.
  
  

Tasks Ahead for the Coming Year

• To review the Secondary One Places Allocation System together with the policy of Medium of Instruction.

(3) "Through-train" Mode

Target

To strengthen collaboration between primary and secondary schools having the same education philosophy so as to provide students with a coherent learning experience.

Last Year's Progress

• 6 pairs of aided primary and secondary schools applied to adopt the "through-train" mode. Collaboration plans from 4 pairs of "through-train" primary and secondary schools were endorsed.
  
• Started to explore the feasibility of deployment of teachers in "through-train" schools.
  
• Continued to monitor the implementation of "through-train" mode and provide support to "through-train" schools through the Regional Education Offices and the Curriculum Development Institute.
  

Tasks Ahead for the Coming Year

• In the light of the latest development of the "through-train" mode, to continue to review and revise the arrangements for this mode of school operation.
  
• To work together with those feeder and nominated schools which currently do not comply with the "through-train" principles to formulate feasible solutions during the period from 2003 to 2012.
  

(4) University Admission

Target

Local higher education institutions (HEIs) are encouraged to review their own admission criteria and procedures so as to give due consideration to students' all-round performance and select the most suitable candidates for the relevant programmes.

Last Year's Progress

• Interviews, where appropriate, were more extensively used by HEIs to gauge students' aptitude and skills. Four HEIs have already implemented their students' self-recommendation scheme to take into account non-academic achievements of applicants.
  
• HEIs were given greater flexibility to take in students at various levels. The Early Admission Scheme, which aims at attracting and retaining a small number of talented S6 students, was introduced. Meritorious graduates of community colleges and other post-secondary institutions were also admitted into senior years of undergraduate study.
  

Tasks Ahead for the Coming Year

• The University Grants Committee will continue to encourage the local HEIs to broaden their admission criteria and to introduce further flexibility to enable multi-entry.
  

Section 6 : Assessment Mechanism

Back to Table of Contents