************************************************************
The Government today (May 7) launched a consultation on the Fourth Strategy on Information Technology in Education (ITE4) to facilitate the formulation of the roadmap for the future development of information technology in education (ITE).
"The development of ITE strategies in Hong Kong has all along been aligned with curriculum reform and international experiences since their inception in 1998, with a view to fostering lifelong learning and whole person development of our students. The three ITE strategies have facilitated advancements in the school sector and improvement in students' digital literacy in particular. To nurture our next generation and to unleash Hong Kong's potential, the Government has proposed to launch the ITE4 as a major education initiative of the 2014 Policy Address," the Secretary for Education, Mr Eddie Ng Hak-kim, said.
"Entitled 'Realising IT Potential, Unleashing Learning Power', student learning is central to ITE4, the goal of which is to unleash the learning power of all our students to learn and to excel through realising the potential of IT in enhancing interactive learning and teaching experiences. A holistic approach is proposed in formulating five recommended actions. Apart from an earlier proposal of enhancing the IT infrastructure with WiFi access and re-engineering the operation mode in all public sector schools, the other four actions comprise enhancing the quality of e-learning and teaching resources; renewing curriculum, transforming pedagogical and assessment practices; building professional leadership, capacity and communities of practice; and involving parents, stakeholders and the community. Schools are encouraged to take into account their school context to develop incrementally their plan for IT- and e-learning, with a view to strengthening students' problem-solving, collaborative, computational thinking skills, and their creativity, so as to become ethical IT users and self-directed learners."
Mr Ng added that the proposed ITE4 emphasised collaboration among schools, tertiary institutions, the business sector and community organisations, and would benefit students, teachers, school leaders, parents, and Hong Kong as a whole. He invited stakeholders of the school community and members of the public to participate actively in this consultation. "Your views and feedback will enable us to refine the strategy to better serve our next generation. We aim at putting the relevant measures in place by phases starting from the 2014/15 school year," Mr Ng said.
The consultation document is available on the website of ITE4 (www.edb.gov.hk/ited/ite4). Please send in your views and suggestions by e-mail to ite@edu.gov.hk, by fax to 2382 4403 or by post to IT in Education Section, Education Infrastructure Division, Education Bureau (EDB) at Room E420, 4/F, East Block, EDB Kowloon Tong Education Services Centre, 19 Suffolk Road, Kowloon Tong, Kowloon on or before July 6.
Ends/Wednesday, May 7, 2014
Issued at HKT 16:50
NNNN