The following is issued on behalf of the Quality Education Fund Steering Committee.
On the advice of the Quality Education Fund Steering committee (QEFSC), the Trustee of the Quality Education Fund (QEF), the Director of Education Incorporated has approved grants totalling $72 million for the third tranche of 135 projects from the first call for applications to the Fund.
This brings the total number of approved QEF projects to 510, involving grants totalling $333 million.
Vetting of the 2 367 applications received during the first call for applications to the Quality Education Fund has almost been completed. Only about 20 applications remain to be further considered by QEFSC and a dialogue is being maintained with the applicants.
"The approved projects are directed towards raising the quality of school education in Hong Kong. They include projects promoting the quality of teaching and learning, developing all-round education, improving school-based management and conducting educational researches," said Mr. Irving Koo, Chairman of the QEFSC.
"The QEFSC and its Secretariat have throughout the vetting period, maintained an open dialogue with individual project leaders and will work in collaboration with the grantees to ensure that the intended results of the funded projects are achieved and the project outcomes are properly evaluated," Mr Koo noted.
We will conduct an open forum with the school sector in mid-September 1998 to review the first call for applications," he added.
One of the significant projects approved in this batch involves the provision of information technology for the enhancement of English language teaching and learning in primary schools. Various electronic databases and computer networks will be developed for primary schools including an English teaching resource database and a grammar database for the teachers, an English learning resource database for the students, and conference corners to enable the teachers to discuss English language and teaching issues.
Other projects approved include the development of a series of gifted programmes and activities to meet the special learning needs of gifted and normal achieving students; establishment of a quality circle for improving school ethos with mutual support through networking; and a teachers' information technology learning programme.
The second call for applications will be invited in late September and the closing date will be the end of November.
End/Friday, August 14, 1998