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Education Blueprint for the 21st Century:
Review of Academic System – Aims of Education

Related Documents:
Consultation Documents on the Review of the Education Department
HKDF 12 October 1998

March 05, 1999

VIA FAX & BY MAIL
(Fax No: 2537 4591)

The Secretary
Education Commission
Room 714, 7/F, Main Wing
Central Government Offices
Lower Albert Road, Central
Hong Kong

Dear Sirs,

The Hong Kong Democratic Foundation would like to express our support for the "Overall Aim of Education" as expressed in your consultation document. In particular, the aim to:

• Train all-round individuals,
• To provide equal opportunities,
• To cultivate life-long learning abilities, and
• To develop each individual to his or her full potential.

We also feel that the aims as set out by your consultation document are achievable and that they’re NOT high.

The main areas of concern we would like to express at this stage to the Consultation are:

• Only mentioned the "Knowledge Society" and "IT Education" in the passing and tend to focus on the "human aspect" of education;
• Lacks interest in the technical and engineering education area.

Please note that the HKDF is also repulsive to the idea that our future education system should produce "Hong Kong Made Androids" which are designed to compete against "Androids" produced in Shanghai, Taiwan or Singapore. However, we take the view that producing rounded individuals is only 50% of the solution. The other 50% will come from providing skills and opportunities to individuals so that they could function well in an increasingly technical society.

We’re worried that if this aim is not clearly recognised and agreed upon by all stakeholders at this stage, it will be forgotten as we move down the implementation stages.

The other areas of concern is in implementation – whether the very original ideas set out by the Education Commission would survive as they are put through education bureaucracy at the implementation stages, this time.

We wish you every success and we look forward to seeing Stage II and III of this Consultation.

Sincerely yours,

Alan Lung Ka-lun
Chairman