New Academic Structure Review (Medium-term) launched

開展新學制中期檢討

教育局今日（二○一三年十月十一日）公布，繼二○一二／一三學年的新學制檢討，以及四月發布的進展報告《新高中學習旅程－－穩步邁進》後，教育局、課程發展議會與香港考試及評核局（考評局）已共同展開新學制中期檢討，以跟進持份者對報告的意見。
The Education Bureau (EDB) today (October 11, 2013) announced that following the New Academic Structure (NAS) review in the 2012/13 school year and the release of the progress report "The New Senior Secondary Learning Journey - Moving Forward to Excel" in April, the EDB, the Curriculum Development Council (CDC) and the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA) have jointly launched the NAS Review (Medium-term) to follow up on stakeholders' feedback on the Report.

新學制檢討是一個持續的過程，能推動新學制和新高中政策的實施以促進學生學習。
The NAS review is an ongoing process to facilitate the continual implementation of the NAS/NSS policy for the betterment of student learning.

中期檢討的目的包括︰
The objectives of the medium-term review are to:

(1) 跟進新學制檢討進展報告公布後蒐集得到的主要回饋；
    follow up on the major feedback on the Report;

(2) 回應不同科目及課程範疇尚待解決的議題，有關議題需時蒐集資料，及對政策作出更全面和宏觀的檢視（詳情請參閱附錄）；
    address the unresolved issues in various subjects and curriculum areas which require a longer time and a more holistic/macro-approach to the policy (please see details in the Appendix);

(3) 持續地就各個科目的課程及評估作出定期檢討；及
    sustain the regular review of the curriculum and assessment of all subjects; and

(4) 參考檢討過程中所得的量性數據和質性資料及回饋，進一步微調檢討的建議。
     further fine-tune the recommendations with reference to qualitative and quantitative data as well as feedback collected throughout the process.


在中期檢討階段，我們將繼續依循短期檢討的原則，並特別重視以下各項︰
While the principles for the short-term review would continue to be observed, the following major governing principles should also be emphasized in the medium-term review:

i) 以學生利益為先；
   Student interest comes first;

ii) 持續蒐集回饋和資訊／實證導向；
    Continuous collection of feedback & information/evidence-driven;

iii) 貫徹一致的「根本性」範式改變，支援學生學習及全人發展；
     Consistent and aligned fundamental paradigm changes to support student learning and whole-person development;

iv) 持續蒐集回饋，讓課程設計與時並進；
    Contemporary curriculum design to align with continuous collection of feedback;

v) 維持國際基準；
   Maintaining international standards;

vi) 富彈性以配合不同校情；及
    Flexibility for different school contexts; and

vii) 維持現有透明機制，與持份者緊密溝通。
     Maintaining existing and transparent mechanism as well as close communication with stakeholders for further engagement


中期階段的建議預計將分兩次於二○一四年七月和二○一五年七月公布，並於二○一四／一五或二○一五／一六學年的中四開始實施，即分別於二○一七或二○一八年的香港中學文憑考試生效，及早讓學生與學校受惠。
同時，教育局會透過不同渠道，包括專業發展課程、研討會、報告書和刊物，繼續與持份者分享良好實踐經驗、調查結果及觀察所得。
Recommendations for the medium-term stage are expected to be announced in two batches in July 2014 and July 2015 for teaching at Secondary 4 in the 2014/15 school year or 2015/16 school year leading to the 2017 or 2018 HKDSE Examination respectively to benefit students and schools at the earliest possible time.
Meanwhile, the EDB will continue to share good practices, findings and observations with stakeholders through different channels including professional development programmes, seminars, reports and publications



開展新學制中期檢討
教育局、課程發展議會與考評局將繼續透過不同渠道，如論壇、會議、調查和焦點小組訪談，廣泛蒐集不同持份者的意見，包括學校、教師、專上教育界別、專業團體、學生、家長和僱主。

New Academic Structure Review (Medium-term) launched
The EDB, the CDC and the HKEAA will continue to extensively collect views from different stakeholders, including schools, teachers, the post-secondary education sector, professional bodies, students, parents and employers, through different channels such as forums, meetings, surveys and focus group interviews.

教育局通函第127/2013號 新學制檢討（中期）
Education Bureau Circular Memorandum No. 127/2013  New Academic Structure Review (Medium-term)

新學制檢討（中期）的主要議題
Major Issues for Deliberation in the New Academic Structure Review (Medium-term)

校本評核 School-based Assessment (SBA)
• 校本評核是學校整體課程和公開評核的重要部分，我們將會對其整體影響進行全面檢討，以探討進一步精簡的可能性，在維持國際認可和校本評核的基本原則的同時，回應工作量的問題。
• As part and parcel of the whole-school curriculum and public assessment, a holistic review on the total impact of SBA would be conducted to explore the possibility of further streamlining in order to address the workload issues while maintaining international recognition and the underlying principles of SBA.

核心科目 Core Subjects
• 中國語文 – 研究引入指定文言經典篇章的可行性及其考核方式
• 通識教育科 - 檢討課程和評估設計
• 數學 - 檢討新高中數學課程架構
• Chinese Language - explore introducing classical set texts and assessment of these texts in the examination
• Liberal Studies - review curriculum and assessment design
• Mathematics - review the NSS Mathematics curriculum framework

選修科目 Elective Subjects
• 企業、會計與財務概論 - 研究將科目分拆成兩科及／或選修單元獨立評級與獨立匯報成績的可行性
• 中國文學 - 研究修訂指定作品
• 經濟 - (i) 探討在公開考試加入時事評論題／資料回應題以取代校本評核的可行性；(ii) 探討課程的進一步發展
• 倫理與宗教 - 探討減輕校本評核工作量
• 地理 - 研究是否需要修訂地理課程及地理科課時不足問題並建議可行解決方案
• 健康管理與社會關懷 - 檢視本科課程及評估的設計與校本評核，包括評核課業的報告格式（書面／音像），以及校本評核的比重
• Business, Accounting and Financial Studies - explore the feasibility of splitting the subject and/or separate grading and reporting
• Chinese Literature - explore revision of set texts
• Economics - (i) consider the feasibility of incorporating a news commentary type question / data response question in the examination to replace SBA and (ii) explore further development of the topics of the curriculum
• Ethics and Religious Studies - explore reduction of SBA workload
• Geography - study the need to revise the NSS Geography curriculum; and to study the issue of insufficient lesson time for the learning and teaching and to propose possible solutions
• Health Management and Social Care - review the curriculum and assessment designs and SBA, including the format of the report in SBA (written / audio-visual) and weighting of SBA

應用學習 Applied Learning Courses (ApL)
除了定期檢討應用學習課程／內容之外，中期檢討將包括：
Apart from the regular review of ApL courses, the medium-term review will include:
• 檢討應用學習課程的評級機制；及
• 研究在中四提供應用學習課程，以及將應用學習課程與資歷架構掛鈎。
• reviewing the grading mechanism; and
• evaluation of early commencement of ApL in S4 and linking ApL to the Qualifications Framework.

香港中學文憑考試 HKDSE Examination
進一步探討香港中學文憑考試如何能更有效照顧學生學習的多樣性（如適用），措施或包括：
Further exploration on the HKDSE Examination to better accommodate learner diversity, if deemed appropriate, which may include:
• 於部份合適科目引入「半科」；及
• 檢視「評級」制度。
• introduction of half subjects in some suitable NSS subjects; and
• revisiting the ‘grading’ system.

其他有關及新出現的議題 Other Related and Emerging Issues
進一步研究下列新出現的議題：
Further studies on emerging issues which include:
• 「預期以外」的影響，例如課程是否寬廣均衡，學生能否在寬廣的知識基礎上獲得專門的知識（4 個核心科目+2/3 個選科目︰「收窄知識基礎」？是否需要增加「其他語言」課程？）；
• 課程設計／評估原則，例如公開評核能否有效地評核學生的價值觀；大學及大專的取錄要求和公開評核的分數轉換系統應否進一步改善；
• 如何提高專業效能及其可持續性、給予學校和教師的支援類別；
• 照顧學生學習的多樣性及對學校的支援（學習能力稍遜及能力較高的學生）；
• 其他學習經歷及學生學習概覽（例如︰其實施如何受到2400±200 總課時的影響？)；
• 與其他新高中科目相關的新議題，例如視覺藝術和中國歷史；及
• 其他與課程及評估相關而不屬於課程及評估發展周期的議題—我們會與相關夥伴機構及持份者保持溝通，並進行適切的討論。
• “unintended” impact, e.g. whether the student programme has achieved a broad and balanced curriculum with specialization achieved in a broad knowledge base (i.e. 4 core subjects + 2/3 elective subjects: “shrinking knowledge base”? Is there a need to offer more Other Language Courses?);
• some curriculum design/assessment principles, e.g. whether values have been appropriately applied in public assessment; whether the admission requirements and scoring system should be further improved;
• professional capacity and sustainability, nature of support for schools and teachers;
• catering for learner diversity & need to support schools (both lower achievers and more able students);
• Other Learning Experiences (OLE) and Student Learning Profile (SLP) (e.g. How is it affected by 2400±200 lesson hours?);
• some emerging issues related to other NSS subjects such as Visual Arts and Chinese History; and
• other issues related to curriculum and assessment but outside the curriculum and assessment development cycle which would be suitably discussed and communicated to relevant partner organisations and stakeholders