香港中學校長會

Hong Kong Association of the Heads of Secondary Schools

香港中學校長會
Here and Now 

Our Views on “Optimising the Four Senior Secondary Core Subjects” (Part 1)​「 優化高中四個核心科目」之我見(上篇)

Our Views on “Optimising the Four Senior Secondary Core Subjects” (Part 1)

中文版本

Michael Wong Wai Yu, Michael, Honorary Executive Secretary, HKAHSS

11 March 2021

Recently, the Education Bureau (EDB) issued a School Questionnaire Survey to all secondary schools in Hong Kong on “Optimising the Four Senior Secondary Core Subjects to Create Space for Students and Cater for Learner Diversity”.  In that survey, the EDB further explains the proposed curriculum changes in the four senior secondary core subjects: Chinese Language, English Language, Mathematics and Liberal Studies (Renamed Subject in lieu of Liberal Studies).  In regard to the proposed measures in optimising the four senior secondary core subjects, the Executive Committee of The Hong Kong Association of the Heads of Secondary Schools (HKAHSS) has the following views:

Procedures in the Curriculum Revision
  1. Is the curriculum review supported by any research data?

Curriculum Revision and Reform are something natural. There are many changes in the world, and it is important for education to meet the changes and advance with time. The HKAHSS has all along appealed to the EDB to evaluate the outcomes of the actual implementation as well as review the breadth and depth of the Senior Secondary Curriculum, and conduct scientific research based on the objectives, which go along with the vision of the Education Reform 2000 (Note 1).  However, since the release of “Report on the New Academic Structure Medium-term Review and Beyond” in 2015, the EDB has not conducted any other territory-wide study, consultation or evaluation. It is only until 2017 that the Task Force on Review of School Curriculum (the Task Force) was set up, which came up with six recommendations for public consultation. However, these recommendations were made after meetings with different stakeholders only and they are not based on any academic research or data.

  1. Does the curriculum revision meet the standing operating procedures?

There were standing operating procedures for curriculum reforms in the past.  They would begin with the Subject Committees of the Curriculum Development Council (CDC) of the EDB. After thorough discussions in those committees, curriculum papers would be drafted for consultation in the education sector.  If there are many different views, further revisions would be made before their announcement and implementation. The revision this time covers the curricula and assessments of the four core subjects, but it skips all the usual standing operating procedures. Saying that this curriculum revision follows the usual standing operating procedures is very unconvincing. Similarly, it is questionable to say that this curriculum revision is “professionally-led”.  If there is professional leadership, who is the one who leads “professionally”? All along, the curriculum development in Hong Kong has its good convention and effective standing operating procedures, which can take far and wide the views of stakeholders.  Though the past revisions might not be agreed by all, they usually displayed the greatest consensus amongst different parties in the education sector.

  1. Has the curriculum revision adequately taken the front-line teachers’ views into consideration?

This curriculum revision is based on the recommendations of the Task Force.  Though the Task Force had met the Chairpersons or core members of different subject organisations and the education practitioners of different areas, members of the Task Force are mainly university professors and secondary school principals.  There is no front-line teacher as representative in the Task Force. In the consultation process, how many front-line education practitioners can give their views or participate in the discussions?  Among the “recommendations” for optimizing the Four Senior Secondary Core Subjects, how many of them have taken the front-line teachers’ views into consideration?  How many of them are the will of the government officials?

  1. Does the “School Questionnaire Survey on Optimizing the Four Senior Secondary Core Subjects” really aim to collect views of the front-line teachers?

The design of this School Questionnaire Survey only asks schools on how to implement the proposed curriculum revision, the benefits that this revision brings to schools and the support measures which schools need.  It does not ask schools whether they agreed to the proposed revision.  If schools have different opinions, they can only express them in the part for “Others”.  How will the EDB handle those opinions written in texts? Will the EDB group those “voices” just as “varied opinions”?  Will the EDB withdraw the proposed revisions if many front-line teachers have reservation on the revisions after the consultation?

The Revision of the Core Subjects

During this pressing consultation period, the HKAHSS had consulted some front-line teachers for their opinions regarding the proposed revision of the core subjects.

Chinese Language

  1. The proposed revision is basically resuming the mode of the “Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination” (HKCEE). This move completely ignores the rationale of the current skills-based curriculum and puts the emphasis on the teaching of set texts.  Sadly, it will bring us back to rote learning and drilling; and neglects the elements of application, communication and conveying messages in learning which are the emphasis of the current curriculum of Chinese Language.
  1. There are elements of reading, writing, listening and speaking in the current curriculum. Chinese Language, on the one hand, is a criterion for university admission and selection of students who have the required language standard to continue their studies. On the other hand, it helps to nurture talents who are good at communication to meet the needs of Hong Kong as a business centre. However, this revision puts the emphasis on reading and writing only, which may not match with the development of Hong Kong and the needs of talents required by society in the future.
  1. The current Chinese curriculum would be more interesting for students as there are many different learning and teaching activities in lessons around the 4 core elements: reading, writing, listening and speaking. If the emphasis is only on reading and writing, lessons may become boring.
  1. Oral communication reflects and trains students’ ability to respond and their attitude in communication which cannot be trained by written assessments. Speaking assessments can also cater for the diversities of students’ performance and abilities. The cancellation of Paper 4 cannot cater for students of different abilities and background.  From the assessment point of view, this is unfair and not holistic.
  1. The consultation documents indicate that there can be a reduction of lesson time by 50 hours. However, the elective part has already been integrated into the daily teaching for Chinese Language.  Deleting the elective part will not be able to release more lesson time.  Besides, though Paper 3 and Paper 4 will be cancelled, the newly added assessments for practical writing and book reports take time to follow up.  If schools follow the EDB guidelines to reduce the lesson time, can the syllabus be completed within the specified time frame?  Will this affect the nurturing of students’ language ability?

English Language

  1. There are not many changes for English Language.Teachers generally welcome the streamlining of the School-based Assessment (SBA) and the integration of the teaching of the elective part into the compulsory part.
  1. As there are not many changes for English Language, front-line teachers are concerned whether students’ English ability and examination performance will be affected if schools follow the EDB guidelines to reduce the lesson time by 50 hours.
  1. Regarding the offering of Applied Learning (Vocational English), the promotion of the Academic Use of English through RaC and LaC and the adoption of assessing speaking by computer, more information is needed for fruitful comments as not much information is provided in the consultation documents.

Mathematics

  1. The design for assessments for the Compulsory Part and the Extended Part of Senior Secondary Mathematics remains unchanged.This can avoid the issues of the mis-place of learning and teaching resources, paradigm shift in learning and teaching, and the adaptability and training for teachers.
  1. The proposal suggests schools making use of the demarcation between Foundation Topics and Non-Foundation Topics of the Compulsory Part and arranging students to take them according to their different abilities, interests and aspirations. It is believed that schools can offer courses of different topics and levels of difficulties for students to choose from based on their abilities, interests and aspirations.
  1. As there is no change in the curriculum and assessment, it is difficult for schools to reduce the lesson time by 50 hours in their curriculum plans and actual implementation. If there is a reduction of 1/5 of the lesson time to complete the original syllabus, teachers are very worried about students’ learning effectiveness.  This will also worsen the development of Mathematics education.
  1. The curriculum revision for Junior Secondary Mathematics just started for Secondary One in September 2020 and the revision is expected to be progressively carried on until September 2023 when students enter the senior secondary level. If the proposed curriculum revision for the 4 core subjects is to be implemented in September 2021, schools need to handle the curriculum revisions for Junior and Senior Secondary Mathematics simultaneously. In addition, students need to face different changes in these few years, which can be confusing.

Note:

  1. Learning for Life, Learning through Life – Reform Proposals for the Education System in Hong Kong. Education Commission, September 2000.

https://www.e-c.edu.hk/doc/en/publications_and_related_documents/education_reform/Edu-reform-eng.pdf

(To be continued in Part 2)

「優化高中四個核心科目」之我見(上篇)

English Version

教育局早前向全港中學發出「優化高中四個核心科目——為學生創造空間和照顧學生多樣性：學校問卷調查」，就高中中、英、數及通識（重新冠名科目以代替通識教育科）四個核心課程改動作出闡釋，香港中學校長會執行委員會對課程修訂有下列意見：

課程修訂程序

  1. 課程檢討有否研究數據支持？

課程修訂、改革本是平常不過的事，世界瞬間萬變，教育當然要與世情接軌，與時並進。香港中學校長會一直倡議教育局就2000年教育改革所訂的教育宏願 (註1)，評估實際推行的成效，以及檢視高中課程的深度及廣度，作目標為本的科學化探究；惟自2015年新學制中期檢討後，教育局未有再進行任何具規模的研究、諮詢及檢討。及至2017年「學校課程檢討專責小組」成立，亦只是透過與不同持分者會晤而作出最後六項建議後作公眾諮詢，並未建基學術研究和數據支持。

  1. 課程修訂是否符合既有程序？

以往的課程改革，自有其一定的程序。由教育局課程發展議會轄下各個科目委員會詳細討論及草擬課程，再諮詢學界意見，若有太多不同意見，會再作修訂，方才公布和實施。是次修訂涉及四個必修學科的課程及評估，但所有要走過的正常程序都跳過。若說是次課程修訂是按一般程序進行，難以讓人信服；若說修訂是「專業領航」，不禁要問，是由誰作「專業」領航？香港的課程發展一向有其傳統及行之有效的程序，能廣納持分者的意見，或許最終方案不是所有人都同意，但以往一般都是學界最大的共識。

  1. 課程修訂是否已充分吸納前線教師的意見？

是次修訂建基於專責小組的建議，雖說曾與學科組織主席或核心成員及不同領域的教育工作者會晤，但專責小組的成員主要是大學教授和中學校長，未有前線老師代表。在諮詢過程中，前線教育工作者有多少能提出意見及參與討論？是次優化四個核心科目的「建議」，有多少吸納了前線老師的意見？抑或是長官意志？

  1. 課程修訂問卷調查是否真正聽取前線教師的意見？

是次學校問卷調查的設計，只問學校如何落實建議的修訂、修訂對學校有何好處及學校需要什麼支援等，並沒有問及是否同意修訂的建議，如學校真的要提不同意的看法，只可以在其他意見部分表達。教育局會如何處理這類的文字意見？會否以「意見紛紜」就把這些「聲音」輕輕帶過？若諮詢過後，眾多前線教師對修訂有所保留，教育局會否收回修訂建議？

核心科目修訂內容

就著核心科目的修訂建議，香港中學校長會在緊迫的諮詢期內，徵詢了一些前線老師的意見，總結如下：

中文科

  1. 是次課程修訂，基本上把課程回復「香港中學會考」模式。是次鐘擺，完全否定現行課程強調能力導向的理念，著重範文教學；恐怕走回背誦、操練的老路，放棄了今天中國語文著重應用、溝通和傳遞信息等學習元素。
  1. 現行課程兼備讀、寫、聽、說的元素，一方面可作為大學收生門檻，選拔具備一定語文能力水平的學生繼續升學；另一方面也可配合香港作為商業中心的需要，培訓善於溝通的人才。是次課程修訂偏重讀寫，恐未能配合香港發展、培育社會未來人才的需要。
  1. 現時學生可在課堂進行讀、寫、聽、說學習，課堂教學活動多變，學生較感興趣，若偏重讀寫教學，課堂會變得單一而沉悶。
  1. 口語溝通反映及訓練學生的應對能力和溝通態度，這些均無法通過紙筆考核訓練。說話評核能照顧學生表現的多樣性及能力的多元性，取消卷四未能全面照顧不同能力及背景的學生，從評核角度看，並不公平及全面。
  1. 課程修訂文件預計能騰出50小時，但中文科的日常教學早已把選修單元融入日常教學，刪去選修單元並未能騰出太多課時。況且，雖取消卷三及卷四，但增加實用文考核和閱讀匯報，兩者同樣需時跟進。學校如按教育局要求刪減中文科教節，會否令課程難以完成？又會否影響學生語文能力的栽培？

英文科

  1. 英文科的改動不算太多。老師一般歡迎精簡校本評核，以及將必修及選修合併。
  1. 正因為改變不多，前線老師均關注學校若按官方指引騰出50小時，會否影響學生的英語能力及考試表現？
  1. 對於修訂文件內提出的應用學習(職業英語)、透過閱讀及跨學科應用英語(Academic use of English through RaC and LaC)及以電腦輔助的說話評估新模式等，由於解說不多，需要更多資料方能作出評論。

數學科

  1. 高中數學課程必修和延伸部分的評核設計不變，相信可以避免因大幅改動而出現教學資源未到位、學與教範式改變、教師適應和再培訓等問題。
  1. 有關方案建議學校安排不同數學能力、興趣和抱負的學生修讀數學科必修部分和延伸單元部分，相信學校能根據學生的學習需要、能力和興趣，提供內容份量和深淺不同的課程組合予學生選擇。
  1. 從學校層面的課程規劃和實際運作上，在課程和考評均沒有任何變更情況下，學校難以騰出50 小時課時來完成分量不變的課程。若要壓縮1/5 課時來完成原有的課程，老師十分擔心學生的學習成效，對數學教育發展更見不利。
  1. 初中數學課程修訂已於2020年9月由中一開始，可預見逐年修訂至2023年9月始於高中實行。若2021年9月開始推行高中數學新建議，則學校需要同時處理初中和高中的課程修訂，學生需於三數年間面對一次又一次的轉變，情況頗見混亂。

註：

  1. 教育統籌委員會：《終身學習，全人發展——香港教育制度改革建議》，2000年9月。

https://www.e-c.edu.hk/doc/tc/publications_and_related_documents/education_reform/Edu-reform-chi.pdf

(篇幅關係，下篇待續。)

香港中學校長會榮譽總幹事 黃謂儒

2021年3月11日

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