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Doubts about gifted education strategy
The scholar also said it was important for the government to continue with its regular funding for gifted education every year despite the plan of setting up the academy.
The proposed academy is ˇ§a ray of hopeˇ¨ for Hong Kong ˇ¦s gifted education, she said. But she urged the government not to turn it into just another training place like those ˇ§famous branded schoolsˇ¨.
Three-tier operation mode of gifted education
The government has been implemented a three-level operation mode of gifted education since 2000:
Level one: Whole-class (school-based)
This level covers all secondary school students, whose number was 478,440 in the academic year of 2005-06. It tries to develop the talents of students, such as high-order thinking skills and creativity in the curriculum. Students will be divided into appropriate groups and be taught so that the different needs of the students will be catered for within classrooms.
Level two: Pull-out (school-based)
This is also school-based but covers about four per cent of the students. Selected students can attend courses to enrich their talents. The lessons, which are held outside the regular classroom, provide systematic training for students with outstanding performance in specific domains, such as leadership and science.
Level three: Off-site support
This level of support is offered to just 0.1 per cent of the students. The Education and Manpower Bureau will work with tertiary institutions and other educational bodies to provide training for the exceptionally gifted outside the schools. Support will include mentorship, counselling and early entry to advanced class.
(Source: Chan Pui-tin, the chief curriculum development officer(gifted education section), Education and Manpower Bureau)
