Ongoing Renewal of the School Curriculum

Optimising the Four Senior Secondary Core Subjects

In tandem with one of the recommendations set out in the review report with the theme “Optimise the curriculum for the future, Foster whole-person development and diverse talents” of the Task Force on Review of School Curriculum, the committees on the four senior secondary (SS) core subjects under the Curriculum Development Council (CDC) and the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA) have formulated proposals to optimise the respective curricula and assessments of the subjects, thereby creating space for students and catering for learner diversity.

The Education Bureau (EDB) conducted a school questionnaire survey on “Optimising the SS Core Subjects to Create Space for Students and Cater for Learner Diversity” from 2 February to 2 March 2021 and concurrently collected suggestions and views from the school sector on the proposals to optimise the four SS core subjects through different channels, including school briefing sessions, teacher focus group meetings, etc. The relevant committees under the CDC and the HKEAA followed up and put forward proposals to optimise the respective subjects. After thorough examination and deliberation, the CDC and HKEAA Public Examinations Board endorsed the proposals to optimise the four SS core subjects and made suggestions to the EDB. The optimising proposals have been accepted by the EDB.

The four SS core subjects currently take up more than half or even more of the lesson time in many schools and students lack diversified learning experiences. Optimising the four SS core subjects to varying degrees can generate synergy, release lesson time and enhance curriculum flexibility for creating space for students. With the optimising measures in place, the four SS core subjects will not take up more than half of the total lesson time. Schools can make use of this opportunity of optimising the curriculum to review and plan the curriculum in a holistic manner, and release space to varying degrees in order to cater for students’ diverse learning and development needs with due regard to each school’s own context and student needs. The lesson time released can facilitate schools’ provision of more diversified options, for example, enabling students to take an additional elective subject (including Applied Learning), engage in more in-depth study of subjects (based on the principle of optimising the SS core subjects, which is to create space for students and cater for learner diversity, we do not recommend that schools allocate the lesson time released to teach core subjects), enabling some of the students to study the Extended Part (Module 1 (M1) / Module 2 (M2)) in parallel with the Compulsory Part of Mathematics, and/or participate more actively in Other Learning Experiences (OLE), life-wide learning activities, and engage in other personal pursuits to cater for their different interests, abilities and aspirations.

In addition, it has come to the EDB’s attention that the number of schools offering Combined Science and Integrated Science and the number of students taking the two subjects have been on the decrease in recent years. After liaising and communicating with the schools which currently offer the subjects and examining the situation by the CDC and the HKEAA, it is decided that the two subjects will be phased out at Secondary 4 (S4) from the 2021/22 school year to create space for schools to arrange for optimising the curriculum concurrently.

The arrangements of the four SS core subjects, Combined Science and Integrated Science will be effective at S4 from the 2021/22 school year so that students will benefit as soon as possible.

Optimising the Four Senior Secondary Core Subjects (Short Videos)

EMM Website link

Optimising the Four Senior Secondary Core Subjects

Optimising the Four Senior Secondary Core Subjects (Full version)

Optimising the Four Senior Secondary Core Subjects – Chinese Language

Optimising the Four Senior Secondary Core Subjects – English Language

Optimising the Four Senior Secondary Core Subjects – Mathematics

Optimising the Four Senior Secondary Core Subjects – Citizenship and Social Development

EDBCM No.72/2021 Curriculum Documents in Support of the Optimised Senior Secondary Core Subjects and Supplementary Notes to the Secondary Education Curriculum Guide (2017) (28 June 2021):

https://applications.edb.gov.hk/circular/upload/EDBCM/EDBCM21072E.pdf

EDBCM No.82/2021 The Curriculum and Assessment Guide of Citizenship and Social Development (Secondary 4 -6) (2 June 2021):

https://applications.edb.gov.hk/circular/upload/EDBCM/EDBCM21082E.pdf

Clear the Air Article on "Optimising the Four Senior Secondary Core Subjects" (5 May 2021):

https://www.edb.gov.hk/en/about-edb/press/cleartheair/20210505.html

EDBCM No.39/2021 Measures to Optimise the Four Senior Secondary Core Subjects (1 April 2021):

https://applications.edb.gov.hk/circular/upload/EDBCM/EDBCM21039E.pdf

Press Release for Measures to Optimise the Four Senior Secondary Core Subjects (1 April 2021):
https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202104/01/P2021040100300.htm

Press Release for Curriculum Development Council's Endorsement for Optimising the Four Senior Secondary Core Subjects (31 March 2021):
https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202103/31/P2021033100700.htm

EDBCM No.20/2021 Optimising the Four Senior Secondary Core Subjects to Create Space for Students and Cater for Learner Diversity: School Questionnaire Survey and School Briefing Sessions (2 February 2021):

https://applications.edb.gov.hk/circular/upload/EDBCM/EDBCM21020E.pdf

Press Release for School Questionnaire Survey on Optimising Senior Secondary Core Subjects (2 February 2021):
https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202102/02/P2021020200681.htm

Proposals to Optimise the Four SS Core Subjects: [Source: “Briefing Sessions on Optimising the Four Senior Secondary Core Subjects (NEW)” (5 and 18 February 2021)]

Overview

Chinese Language

English Language

Mathematics

Renamed Subject

Examples of Curriculum Planning at the School Level for Reference:

Case 1

Case 2

Case 3

Case 4

FAQ:

1. Curriculum Planning at the School Level

2. Chinese Language

Please refer to the Chinese version of this page.

3. English Language

4. Mathematics

The optimising proposal for senior secondary Mathematics does not suggest reducing the overall lesson time or trimming the curriculum content across the board. Instead, it suggests enhancing the utilisation of current demarcation between “Foundation Topics” (FT) and “Non-foundation Topics” (NFT) in the Compulsory Part of the existing Mathematics curriculum, and making better use of the lesson time to cater for learner diversity more effectively.

For students who have difficulties and a weak foundation in learning Mathematics, they may get frustrated and be unable to cope with the problems encountered when learning some NFT. Schools should consider not teaching those NFT to them, and use the lesson time thus saved to focus on other more foundational topics, so that the students could have more learning space to consolidate what they have learnt, deepen their understanding, and enable them to obtain better results in learning Mathematics. For these students, no lesson time in Mathematics is suggested to be reduced.

For the students who have interests or aspirations not related to Mathematics, schools may allow these students not to study some NFT after considering the views of these students and their parents, so that the students may have more space to study their interested subjects that they want to further develop, or engage in Other Learning Experiences. But the lesson time thus released should not exceed 50 hours within three years.In this situation the lesson time in Mathematics may be released.

For other students, in general, they are still recommended to study the entire Compulsory Part. For students who have a keen interest in Mathematics or need more advanced mathematical knowledge in their future studies and careers, they are encouraged to take Module 1 or Module 2 (M1/M2) of the Extended Part. The Education Bureau anticipates that, when the optimising measures for the four senior secondary core subjects are implemented, schools could arrange the lessons of M1/M2 in the regular school timetable to optimise students’ learning.

All in all, the Education Bureau anticipates that the optimising proposal will enable students to engage in the study of Mathematics that could cater for their interests, aspirations and abilities. The students who have a keen interest in and are capable of learning mathematics are encouraged to study M1/M2 of the Extended Part. As a result, it is expected that the optimising proposal will not lower the level of Hong Kong students’ attainment in Mathematics, but rather help students learn Mathematics, and learn it well.

5. Citizenship and Social Development in lieu of Liberal Studies

(Remarks: The EDB announced on 1 April 2021 that “Citizenship and Social Development” will replace Liberal Studies starting from Secondary 4 in the 2021/22 school year.)