Education Commission's Revised Draft Proposal
on the Aims of Education
(As of 22.9.99)

Overall Aims of Education

Aims for the Major Learning Stages

Early Childhood Education
Specific Aims of Early Childhood Education
Guidelines for Implementation of Aims of Early Childhood Education

School Education
Specific Aims of School Education
Guidelines for Implementation of Aims of School Education

Tertiary Education
Specific Aims of Tertiary Education

Overall Aims of Education

• To enable everyone to develop his/her potential to the full according to his/her characteristics in the moral, intellectual, physical, social and aesthetic domains so that each individual is ready for continuous self-learning, thinking, exploring, innovating and adapting to changes throughout his/her life; filled with self-confidence and team spirit; and is willing to strive incessantly for the prosperity, progress, freedom, democracy and the rule of law of the society, and to contribute to the future well-being of the nation and the world at large.
• The priorities should be accorded to enabling our students to enjoy learning, enhancing their effectiveness in communication, and developing their creativity and sense of commitment.

Aims for the Major Learning Stages

Early Childhood Education

• Early childhood education is the foundation of life-long learning.

1. (A)
   Vision

• Cultivate in children a positive attitude towards learning and good living habits in a stimulating and happy environment.

1. (B)
   Aims We wish our children to :

• be curious, have a thirst for knowledge, and enjoy learning;
• experience a rich and enjoyable group life in which a sense of responsibility and respect for others is fostered and a balanced development in the moral, intellectual, physical, social and aesthetic domains is achieved; and
• be willing to experiment and explore, learn to face up to problems and find solutions, and develop self-confidence and a healthy self-concept.

Specific Aims of Early Childhood Education

1. (1)
   Intellectual development

• To facilitate the development of divergent thinking, creativity, reasoning, and the ability to make judgements and to analyse and solve problems
• To promote the development of self-regulation as a foundation for active and independent learning
• To enhance the development of an inquisitive mind and the desire for learning
• To help children develop initiative, persistence, attentiveness, and capacity for observation and imagination

1. (2)
   Language development

• To facilitate the acquisition of communicative competence
• To help children acquire proficiency in expressing their ideas clearly and coherently in their mother tongue

1. (3)
   Physical development

• To enhance the development of gross motor and fine motor skills
• To promote children's sensory and perceptual development
• To ensure that children receive proper nutrition and health care for the development of a healthy body
• To foster in children good habits, self-care skills and health awareness

1. (4)
   Personal and emotional development

• To help children develop the ability to understand and to express appropriately their own feelings and needs, and to be sensitive to the feelings and needs of others
• To nurture in children a positive self-concept and self-confidence
• To help children acquire self-control

1. (5)
   Moral and social development

• To help children acquire interpersonal skills
• To help children learn to function well within a group and to acquire social problem solving skills
• To nurture in children a sense of responsibility, civic-mindedness, a rule-abiding spirit, and acceptance of basic social values and norms
• To foster in children respect for others and appreciation of differences and diversity
• To cultivate in children an inclination to interact with and love their environment

1. (6)
   Aesthetic and cultural development

• To stimulate children's creativity and imagination
• To cultivate in children the abilities to enjoy life and to appreciate various forms of beauty
• To cultivate in children interest in aesthetic expression
• To foster in children appreciation of their own culture and other cultures

1. (7)
   Basic knowledge

• To broaden children's view of the world
• To lay the foundation for emergent literacy and numeracy skills
• To cultivate in children a positve attitute towards acquiring knowledge and understanding the world around them

Guidelines for Implementation of Aims of Early Childhood Education

1. (1)
   Though categorised separately into different domains for the sake of clarity, the aims of early childhood education in the different domains are inextricably linked. Development in one domain often influences and/or depends on development in other domains.
2. (2)
   Attention should be given to the aims in all domains to allow for the balanced and full development of the whole child in, inter alia, intellectual, language, physical, personality, emotional, social, moral and aesthetic development.
3. (3)
   Every child (irrespective of age, gender, disability, ethnicity or background) should be allowed to progress at a rate appropriate for his/her developmental characteristics and needs.
4. (4)
   To achieve optimal development for every child, children should be given opportunities to discover, experiment and explore. They should be allowed to learn and construct their understanding of themselves, other people and the world around them through actual experiences.
5. (5)
   Early childhood education should allow children to experience the joys of learning in meaningful contexts that promote positive dispositions and attitudes to learning and prepare children for future success in school learning and in life-long learning.
6. (6)
   Play has an important role in children's development. A variety of play-oriented exploratory activities will help to enhance a balanced development in children.
7. (7)
   The fostering of attitudes and values in children is dependent on good modelling by significant others in children's lives, such as parents, carers and teachers, who are able to project these attitudes and values in their interactions with children.
8. (8)
   The critical importance of families and communities in children's development must not be overlooked. Families and communities provide the context in which children grow, thus shaping children's most important early experiences and encounters with their environments. Early childhood institutions and educators should work in close collaboration with the family, the community and other professionals.
9. (9)
   High quality early childhood education and care is provided by high quality staff who appreciate and respect children, who have the required understanding and skills to promote optimal development and learning, and who are committed to ongoing professional development. A high quality workforce in early childhood education is critical for the successful implementation of these aims.
10. (10)
    The rights of all children, regardless of gender, ability, cultural differences or socio-economic status, to an inclusive early childhood education should be acknowledged and catered for. Early childhood education in Hong Kong should ensure the early identification of special gifts and talents, or special learning needs in children and provide early intervention in an inclusive environment.
11. (11)
    Systematic and planned effort should be made to facilitate the transition from early childhood to school education for all children.

School Education

• School education is the stage for developing students' basic skills and attitude for life-long learning. The aim of school education is to :

• encourage students to construct basic knowledge and develop their basic ability and attitude so as to prepare them for the building of a learning and civilized society.

1. (A)
   The Aims of Universal Basic Education are to:

• enable students to have all-round and unique development in the areas of ethics, intellect, physique, social skills and aesthetics;
• ensure that students attain the basic standards and encourage them to pursue excellence; and
• encourage students to take the initiative to learn, to think and create, and foster in them positive attitude and values.

1. (B)
   The Aims of Senior Secondary Education are to

• enable students to have all-round and well-balanced learning experience in the academic, vocational, organisation, social service, aesthetics and sports domains to prepare them for future employment, studies and lives;
• provide students with a wide variety of choices and experiences to help them understand their abilities and inclination in planning for future employment, studies and lives;
• encourage students to take initiatives to learn and to develop independent and critical thinking, creativity, commitment towards the family, the community and the nation and to develop global outlook.

Specific Aims of School Education

1. (1)
   Mastery of knowledge

• To master the basic skills for being bi-literate and tri-lingual, to be able to write fluent Chinese and English, and to communicate with others in Cantonese, English and Putonghua
• To master basic mathematical concepts and computational skills
• To construct basic knowledge in natural and social sciences

1. (2)
   Intellectual development

• To develop the ability to memorize, understand, apply, analyze, integrate and evaluate knowledge
• To develop the skills for innovation and be able to adapt to changes
• To master independent thinking and critical thinking skills
• To develop the ability to solve problems and make decisions

1. (3)
   Self-learning aptitude and ability

• To maintain curiosity and an inquiring mind, and the desire to learn
• To master the learning skills
• To cultivate the reading habit
• To be competent in IT and to develop skills for collecting and utilizing information

1. (4)
   Practical skills

• To adopt healthy life practices
• To know further study and career options, and make appropriate plans for the future
• To master skills useful for further study, work and life (including the ability to take care of oneself and apply modern technology)

1. (5)
   Physical development

• To have a good grasp of health concepts and be conscious of maintaining health
• To maintain physical fitness
• To develop interest in sports

1. (6)
   Psychological well-being

• To know oneself (including knowledge of one's body, talents, abilities, emotion, needs and interest)
• To develop self-respect, self-esteem and self-confidence
• To be optimistic, enterprising and persistent

1. (7)
   Aesthetic and cultural development

• To develop the basic knowledge and interest in appreciating art and culture
• To develop creativity and aesthetic awareness
• To be able to optimize one's leisure and enrich one's cultural life

1. (8)
   Personal and ethical qualities

• To observe discipline and be self-disciplined
• To develop understanding, respect and concern for others
• To develop desirable moral characteristics (e.g. integrity, modesty, diligence, willingness to improve and take up responsibilities, civic-mindedness etc.)
• To develop the skills for making independent moral judgements

1. (9)
   Social life

• To have good command of inter-personal skills
• To adopt a generous attitude in dealing with others and democratic approaches in handling matters
• To be responsible and ready to serve the community
• To be co-operative
• To respect fair play
• To be able to handle inter-personal conflicts
• To respect cultural diversity and be able to get along amicably with people of different cultural background

1. (10)
   Social, political and civic awareness

• To understand the society of Hong Kong, the structure and operations of the Government, and the rights and duties of a citizen
• To understand the laws and respect the rule of law
• To learn the Basic Law and understand the basic principles and meanings of "One Country Two Systems", "Hong Kong People Ruling Hong Kong" and "A High Degree of Autonomy"
• To understand the history and culture of the Chinese nation, and have concern for national development
• To develop a sense of belonging to one's society and country
• To be able to widen the scope of learning experience and have a global outlook
• To develop positive values and sense of responsibility towards one's family, society, country and the world at large
• To have concern for environmental issues and care for the environment

Guidelines for Implementation of Aims of School Education

1. Aims of education cover five areas: ethics, the intellect, the physique, social skills and aesthetics, or alternatively, three domains: knowledge, skills/abilities and attitudes/values. Each aim is inter-dependent and mutually reinforcing. Schools should enable students to have an all-round and appropriate development.
2. Development of skills/abilities is more important than acquisition of knowledge. The focus of school education should shift from quantity to quality. Spoon-feeding must be avoided while the quality and effectiveness of teaching and learning should be enhanced. Only with this change can students' creativity, desire to innovate, and motivation to learn be improved.
3. Students should play a central role in the learning process while teachers are there to guide them. Teachers are not the sole source of knowledge. Schools and teachers should facilitate and motivate students to engage in self-initiated and effective learning.
4. Students' motivation to learn is an important factor affecting the effectiveness of school education. Schools should foster a cultural environment conducive to enjoyable and effective learning for students.
5. Cultivation of ethical, intellectual and social attributes, or formation of attitudes/values are of great value to the personal development of students as well as to the cultural advancement of the community. These qualities should be promoted through activities conducted inside or outside classes, and should not be taught or discussed in isolation.
6. The fostering of ethical, intellectual and social attributes, or formation of attitudes/values in students, is dependent on good modelling by teachers, who play a critical role in projecting these attributes or attitudes/values in their interaction with students.
7. A balance should be maintained between learning inside and outside the classroom. Schools should not only be the place for study and examinations, but the place for learning to live and work. Formal, informal and non-formal education should be integrated through a review of school curriculum so as to enable students to have all round development. Informal education is a process whereby every individual develops his/her attitudes and values from daily experience, such as from his/her family, school, peer groups, the media and other influences and factors in the person's environment. Non-formal education includes those organized educational activities outside the established formal system that are intended to serve an identifiable learning clientele with identifiable learning objectives. To foster formal, informal and non-formal education, schools, families and the community should work closely to optimize human and financial resources for education development.
8. A quality assurance mechanism should be put in place to assess the effectiveness of school education and the performance of students, in particular their standards at various learning levels on a regular and continuous basis.
9. An on-going mechanism should be set up to monitor the attainment of various aims of school education, and to revise the original aims in response to the changing demands of society and the needs of students.
10. School education has a dual role to play. On the one hand, it nurtures talents for tertiary education and grooms community leaders. On the other hand, it seeks to improve the general quality of our young people. Quality school education is the foundation for development of society. Resources allocated to school education should account for a reasonable proportion of resources invested in education.

Tertiary Education

• Tertiary education starts after completion of school education.

1. (A)
   Vision ¹

• To consolidate students' life-long learning abilities and attitudes, as well as to nurture leaders who have confidence, a sense of justice and social responsibility, and a global outlook.

1. (B)
   Aims

• encourage students to learn independently, to explore, to develop critical and creative thinking, and to prepare them to master a particular discipline or specialism;
• ensure that students have enthusiasm and desire continuous improvement as well as commitment to their families, society and the nation to which they belong;
• enable students to develop their ability to study, live and work in a diverse society and cross-cultural environment.

Specific Aims of Tertiary Education²

Tertiary education should aim at nurturing graduates with the following attributes:

• Knowledge and Competency
  • Wide knowledge horizon in humanities and sciences
  • High competence in a particular discipline or specialism
  • Appreciation of alternative paradigms
  • Intellectual versatility in order to participate in economic/political/ ideological discussions
  • Ability in carrying out research at least at rudimentary level

• Leadership, Intellectual Capabilities and International Outlook
  • Leadership potential
    • Effective and articulate in communication
    • Effective inter-personal skills and abilities for team-work
    • Capable of participatory decision-making
    • Independent decision-making capability
    • Appreciation of diversity and plurality
    • Capable of turning crisis into opportunities
    • Committed to continuous self-improvement
  • Intellectual capabilities
    • Maintaining curiosity and an enquiring mind
    • Conceptualising and abstract thinking
    • Critical thinking
    • Optimistic and forward-looking
    • Creative thinking
  • International Outlook
    • Capable of communicating internationally
    • At ease living and working in cross-cultural environments
    • Appreciation of Chinese cultural traditions
    • Insightful understanding of contemporary developments in China

• Positive Attitudes
  • Commitment to a career/profession as a social contribution
  • Commitment to the society and the nation to which they belong
  • Appreciation of balance between community and individual needs, rights and responsibilities
  • Commitment to democracy, equity and freedom

• Physical and Cultural Well-being
  • Maintaining good health and exercise habits
  • Maintaining healthy family lives
  • Maintaining healthy leisure lives
  • Leading a cultured personal life
  • Appreciation of arts and music
  • Ability in some creative/performing arts