implementwww.sesehu.com

EMBwelcomesuniversityadmissionrequirementsannouncedbyHUCOMTheEducationandManpowerBureau(EMB)today(July5)welcomedtheannouncementoftheHeadsofUniversitiesCommittee(HUCOM)onthegeneraladmissionrequirementsandprogrammespecificrequirementsoftheeightUniversityGrantsCommittee(UGC)-fundedinstitutionsunderthenew"334"academicstructure.
"TheannouncementistimelyandallowsampletimeforschoolstoplanaheadoftheintroductionoftheNewSeniorSecondary(NSS)curriculumin2009,"theDeputySecretaryforEducationandManpower,MrChrisWardlawsaid.
"Itreflectsthestrongconsensusandcollaborationacrossmembersoftheeducationsector,includingthetertiaryinstitutions,EMB,HongKongExaminationsandAssessmentAuthority,UGC,andschools,tosmoothlyimplementthenewacademicstructure.
""ItisalsoacriticalmilestonethatmarksHUCOM'ssupportforoneofthekeygoalsofthenewacademicstructure-toencourageamorebroad-basedcurriculumforseniorsecondarystudentswithmorechoicestosuitindividualaptitudesandinterests".
MrWardlawappreciatedthatuniversitieshadrecognisedallNSSelectivesubjectswhichcomplementthefourcoresubjectsofChineseLanguage,EnglishLanguage,MathematicsandLiberalStudies.
"InparticulartherecognitionofCombinedScienceasanalternativetoasingle-disciplinesciencesubjectwillprovideschoolswithmoreflexibilityindesigningabroadandbalancedNSScurriculum,"headded.
OneofthesuccesscriteriafortheNSSsystemistoreducetheearlystreamingofstudentsintonarrowscienceorartsstreams.
MrWardlawsaid,"TheannouncementbyHUCOMtodayfacilitatesachangeinthewaylearningisorganizedandfreesupchoicesforstudents.
"Asnoinstitutionwillrequiremorethantwoelectivesforadmission,allstudentswillhavetheopportunityandsparetimetopursueathirdelectiveincludingCareer-OrientedStudies(COS)coursesiftheysowish.
Theycanexploretheirinterestsamongavarietyofsubjects,whichareconducivetotheirall-rounddevelopment.
Thismilestoneinpreparingforthenewacademicstructuremeansschoolscanmakedueadjustmenttotheirschoolculture,theirpedagogyandassessment,andorganisationstructureandfullyinformparentsandstudentsofthebenefitsofthechanges.
Schoolswillalsoneedtoplanforstaffredeployment,suchasdeployingteacherstotakeuptheteachingofLiberalStudies,andmakeeffectiveuseofsupportrenderedbyEMB,includingprofessionaldevelopmentprogrammes,grants,learningandteachingresources.
"Alwayshavingthewell-beingofstudentsasourtoppriority,weareconfidentthatwecanprovideabroadandbalancedNSScurriculumtostretchthepotentialofthestudents,facilitatetheirwhole-persondevelopmentandequipthemwiththenecessaryknowledge,attitudeandskillstobecomealife-longlearner,"MrWardlawadded.
End/Wednesday,July5,2006