In accordance with the learning targets and contents prescribed in the central curriculum, schools may adopt appropriate teaching materials and strategies according to the needs of students to help them attain the learning targets.

Collaborative research and development projects. The objectives are to (i) develop and disseminate useful experiences for reference by schools and teachers; (ii) cultivate a pool of curriculum reform pioneers and curriculum leaders (e.g. teachers, principals and teacher librarians); and (iii) promote the development of school-based curricula.

The Campaign was implemented by the Government in February 2000 to enhance the English language standards of the working population. So far, English language benchmarks have been established for six job categories, so as to reflect the employers' requirements on employees' English language proficiency. Financial assistance has been provided to help employees undertake training and to facilitate the development of new training programmes.

Support services tailored to the needs of individual schools are provided to help schools enhance teaching effectiveness, develop school-based curriculum, improve school management and strengthen support for students.

Learning through a variety of activities in different settings, including in classrooms, in schools, at home and in outdoor environments to develop different generic abilities, as well as values and attitudes.

The Quality Education Fund (QEF) was established in 1998 on the recommendation of the Education Commission. It aims to provide a flexible mechanism for funding projects initiated by schools or non-school sectors for the promotion of quality education in Hong Kong and to disseminate good experiences generated from successful projects.

Completion of a one-year full-time kindergarten education programme recognized by the Education Department and the Social Welfare Department, or an equivalent qualification.

A professional support system in which experienced teachers act as mentors for new teachers to provide them with guidance so as to to help them adapt to the work environment and enhance professional development.

The reform of the Primary One Admission system will be implemented in two stages viz. a short-term mechanism from 2002/03 to 2004/05, and a long-term mechanism from 2005/06 onwards.

Discretionary place allocation is the first stage of the Primary One Admission system. Parents may apply to one government or aided primary school in any school net. Schools must admit all applicants with siblings studying or parents working in the schools applied for, and then allocate the remaining discretionary places according to the point system.

The second phase of POA, which is conducted by computer according to parents' choices and school nets.

Starting from the 2000/01 allocation cycle, the Academic Aptitude Test (AAT) has been abolished and the number of allocation bands has been reduced from five to three. Under the new interim mechanism, the past AAT results in 1997/98, 1998/99 and 1999/2000 are used to replace the AAT as the scaling tool. A review will be conducted in 2003 to decide on the long-term SSPA mechanism.

Each school may reserve a certain percentage of Secondary 1 places for direct application by parents before the central allocation stage. Schools may set their own admission criteria, but they are required to publicize such criteria for reference by parents and students.

In the process of allocating S.1 places, students in each allocation net are divided into three allocation bands according to the scaled scores of students. Students in Band 1 will be allocated places first, to be followed by students in Band 2 and then Band 3. (The mechanism for scaling students' internal assessment results is based on the prevailing SSPA mechanism. Please refer to the section on the "New SSPA Mechanism" above.)

"Through-train" is a new mode of school operation. Primary and secondary schools meeting the following principles may apply to the Education Department to form "through-train" schools:

• primary and secondary schools should have the same education philosophy and should collaborate to enhance continuity in primary and secondary education;
  
  
• the number of Secondary 1 places in a "through-train" school must exceed the number of its Primary 6 graduates; the linked secondary school must admit all Primary 6 graduates of its linked primary school and reserve a portion of Secondary 1 places for admitting graduates of other primary schools;
  
  
• primary and secondary schools must have the same financing mode

After deducting Secondary 1 places for repeaters and discretionary places, feeder and nominated secondary schools may reserve 85% (feeder schools) / 25% (nominated schools) of the remaining Secondary 1 places for students of their feeder/nominated primary schools.

Comprehensive and balanced development in the domains of ethics, intellect, physique, social skills and aesthetics.

Joint University Programmes Admissions System (JUPAS) is a scheme implemented jointly by the eight institutions funded by the University Grants Committee (UGC). It aims to facilitate students in applying for admission to UGC-funded degree and sub-degree programmes run by these institutions on the basis of students' Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination results.

"Basic competencies" are what students should be able to do in relation to the set of learning targets and objectives set out in the curriculum in different strands/dimensions and at each key stage of learning.

This is an assessment mode in which teachers assess their own students over a certain period in a specified skill area of the syllabus (e.g. practical skill) in accordance with the guidelines provided by the Hong Kong Examinations Authority. The guidelines indicate what to assess, how to assess and when to assess. The marks given by the teachers are normally moderated statistically by the Authority to maintain comparability of marking standards among teachers. They will be included in the students' public examination results. The TAS component complements the external component making the assessment of the students more comprehensive. This mode of assessment helps to enhance the validity of public examinations. There are a number of subjects with a TAS component, most of them within the HKALE.

Subject experts identify the basic or core competence of a subject on the basis of the curriculum, and set the standard expected of a Secondary 5 graduate in the basic or core competence of the subject. This will be the grade E standard for the subject. Candidates who attain the prescribed standard will be awarded a grade E, irrespective of the performance of other candidates.