Information Paper

Information Technology for Quality Education
Five-year Strategy 1998/99 to 2002/03


Purpose

This paper briefs Members on the consultation document on a five-year strategy for applying information technology (IT) in school education.

Background

2. In his first Policy Address, the Chief Executive undertook to formulate a five-year strategy on IT in education so as to enhance teaching and learning.

3. The Government also announced a number of measures last year to make a start in promoting the use of IT in education. We are implementing these measures with a view to achieving the following by the 1999/2000 school year -

  1. Provide over 45 000 training places for teachers on the use of IT in teaching and learning. Establish an Information Technology Education Resource Centre to provide professional and technical support for teachers in adopting IT as a teaching tool.

  2. Provide, on average, 40 computers for each primary school, and run a Computer Awareness Programme and computer-assisted learning programmes in these schools.

  3. Provide, on average, 82 computers for each secondary school. Establish a multi-media learning centre in about 100 secondary schools, an Information Technology Learning Centre in each of the 46 prevocational and secondary technical schools, and a computer laboratory in each of the 27 prevocational schools.

  4. Connect all schools to the Internet.

  5. Complete Pilot Scheme in ten primary and ten secondary schools for establishing best practices in applying IT in teaching and learning.

Consultation Document

4. The consultation document (at the Annex) sets out our vision (harness the power of IT to help our students get the most out of school education), our strategic objectives (arouse and maintain our students�motivation to learn; broaden our students�horizons so as to enrich their learning experience and facilitate the development of a creative mind; encourage independent lifelong learning and instil team spirit), and our proposals and targets in the four key areas (teacher enablement; curriculum and software; hardware provision and network infrastructure). A summary of our proposals can be found in Chapter 5 of the document.

Implementation of Five-year Strategy

5. Following public consultation, we will finalise our five-year strategy. We will formulate an implementation plan including a timetable and the specific targets to be achieved over the next five years. However, the strategy is not meant to be implemented in a top-down manner or adhered to without flexibility. Schools will be encouraged to formulate their own IT plans tailoring to their students�specific needs, in the spirit of school-based management. We will broadly disseminate the best practices emerged from the Pilot Scheme and will develop the latter stages of the strategy accordingly. We will also keep in touch with the Information Technology and Broadcasting Bureau in implementing the strategy.

Public Consultation

6. In drafting the consultation document, we have had discussions with schools and members of the Hong Kong Association for Computer Education, Hong Kong Computer Society and tertiary institutions. We have also sought preliminary views from the Education Commission and the Board of Education.

7. The consultation document was issued on 26 June and the consultation period will end on 31 August.



Education and Manpower Bureau
July 1998