Consultation Papers and Consultancy Reports
Information Technology for Learning in a New Era
Five-Year Strategy 1998/99 to 2002/03
Chapter 2
2.1
At present, schools in Hong Kong vary considerably in terms of their awareness of the need for the paradigm shift, willingness and ability of teachers to teach through use of IT, availability of IT facilities, or even the feasibility of school sites to install computers, and the exposure of their students to IT. On the whole, we do not see a strong IT culture in our campuses, especially in primary schools. Whilst some teachers are eager to embrace IT in education and have sophisticated IT skills, teachers in general have little experience in using IT to teach, partly due to lack of training opportunities and facilities. Although our home penetration rate of personal computers (34%) is by no means low in comparison with that of other advanced economies1, we do see the need to enhance accessibility of students to computers, especially students whose families do not own a computer. At present, only a small quantity of computers are available in our community facilities for access by students.
2.2
However, since the announcement of the IT initiative in the Chief Executive's Policy Address in 1997, we have seen much more enthusiasm in the school sector and the teaching profession about the advantages that IT would bring to school education. An indication of this enthusiasm is the large number of applications to the Quality Education Fund (QEF) seeking funding to implement various IT initiatives in schools. This is a welcome sign. As at mid October 1998, $137 million under QEF has been earmarked for a total of 81 IT projects. These projects are listed in Annex B. Furthermore, according to the interim findings of a recent survey among school principals and teachers commissioned by the Education Department (ED), over 90% of the principals and about 70% of the teachers who responded are positive about the benefits that IT could bring to teaching and learning in the classroom.
2.3
Many economies with which Hong Kong is often compared have in recent years introduced plans to promote IT in education. Mainland China started its 5-year IT plan in 1996 and Singapore launched a masterplan for IT in education in 1997. Japan and the United States have also introduced various comprehensive IT plans in 1990 and 1996 respectively. A summary of the key features of these plans is in Annex C. It can be seen from the IT plans in Annex C that the concepts underpinning the strategies of these economies are essentially very similar, although their goals in specific areas may vary. From our discussion with our counterparts in some of these economies, we found that they were facing more or less the same difficulties as we are, notably the resource constraints in equipping schools with sufficient IT facilities, the teething problems in building up an IT culture in schools, the need to train up a large number of teachers and the need to integrate IT meaningfully in school education. Whilst we may take reference from others' plans, we must develop a strategy that suits our own circumstances in Hong Kong.
2.4
In 1997, Government showed serious commitment to IT in education in announcing a series of initiatives to apply IT in teaching and learning, amounting to $2,880 million in capital cost and $260 million in annual recurrent cost. We have already embarked on many of these initiatives which include the provision of about 65 000 computers for primary and secondary schools, providing over 45 000 training places for teachers, introducing a pilot scheme in 10 primary and 10 secondary schools, and examining the feasibility of an education-specific Intranet. We have also made a start in providing professional and technical support and in tackling issues regarding curriculum, software and networking. As at October 1998, 3 000 training places have been provided for primary school teachers, 60% of our primary schools have each been given 15 computers, all secondary schools have been given 21 computers to upgrade the facilities in their computer rooms, and resources have been provided to the 20 schools in the IT pilot scheme to implement their own IT plans.
2.5
In this year's Policy Address, the Chief Executive has announced a further set of initiatives which include providing IT co-ordinators for 250 schools, enhancing technical support for all schools, and providing a grant for schools to make available computer facilities for use by students after school hours. These will incur additional capital cost of $334 million and annual recurrent cost of $294.5 million. A detailed account of the various initiatives announced is in Annex D.
2.6
The measures announced are expected to bring all schools and teachers to certain threshold levels of IT provision and skills. For example, we envisage that by the 1999/2000 school year :
Primary schools
- each school will have on average 40 computers to allow teaching and learning, including self-learning by students, through IT in a number of subjects;
- about two-thirds and one-third of the teachers in a school will have reached the "basic" and "comfortable" levels of competency respectively. At least one teacher has reached the "creative" level of competency;
- the Computer Awareness Programme will be implemented at Primary 3 and above;
- all schools will have access to the Internet;
- 10 schools will have participated in the IT pilot scheme;
- the library, staff rooms and computer-assisted room in a school will be linked up by a Local Area Network (LAN) with Internet access;
- all schools will be provided with technical support; and
- some schools will be provided with an IT co-ordinator per school.
Secondary schools
- each school will have on average 82 computers for the teaching of various subjects, upgrading of facilities for the teaching of computer subjects and more self-learning by students through IT;
- about two-thirds and one-third of the teachers in a school will have reached the "basic" and "comfortable" levels of competency respectively. At least one teacher has reached the "creative" level of competency;
- all schools will have access to the Internet;
- about 100 schools will have a multi-media learning centre;
- 10 schools will have participated in the IT pilot scheme;
- each prevocational school or secondary technical school will have an information technology learning centre, and each prevocational school a computer laboratory;
- the library, staff rooms, computer room and computer-assisted room in a school will be linked up by a LAN with Internet access;
- all schools will be provided with technical support; and
- some schools will be provided with an IT co-ordinator per school.
Where appropriate, similar resources will be provided for special schools with regard to their special needs.