Kerry J Kennedy

1. Changing Schools for Changing Times Curriculum Lessons from Hong Kong for SEAMEO Basic Education Standards Kerry J Kennedy SEAMEO BASIC EDUCATION STANDARDS (SEA-BES) SERIES OF WORKSHOPS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF COMMON CORE REGIONAL STANDARDS IN SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS SEAMEO RECSAM, Penang, 21-22 May 2015

2. Outline • “Reform, reform reform”: new curriculum for the “Asian century” • Hong Kong’s curriculum reform efforts: a new curriculum for new times • Lessons from Hong Kong’s reforms – content, coherence, consistency & coordination • Standards and the curriculum – what can be learnt from Hong Kong?

3. “Reform, reform reform”: new curriculum for the “Asian century” SEAMEO BASIC EDUCATION STANDARDS (SEA-BES) REPRESENT THE FIRST ATTEMPT AT REGION - WIDE EDUCATION REFORM

4. Table 1 The Scope of Education Reform in the Asia Pacific Region, 1997–2002

5. Figure 1: The Value of Learning in the “Asian century” Personal Growth & Development ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT LEARNING Social Development This view recognizes the value of learning not only in personal terms for the individual and the social benefits that come from learning but primarily in terms of the potential of learning’s return to the economy. This “new learning” Underpins recent curriculum reforms and is an important foundational element in SEA-BES

6. Hong Kong’s curriculum reform efforts: a new curriculum for new times Hong Kong’s pre-1997 curriculum could be defined as: • Traditional; • Elitist; • Competitive; • Exam- dominated; and • Bureaucratic

7. Hong Kong Curriculum: C20th Traditional; Elitist; Competitive; Exam- dominated; and Bureaucratic Curriculum Development Council, 2001, p.22

8. Hong Kong’s Reform Framework Curriculum Development Council, 2001, p.22

9. Purpose of Hong Kong’s C21st Curriculum (Education Commission (2000, p.5) • to build a life-long learning society; • to raise the overall quality of students; • to construct a diverse education system; • to create an inspiring learning environment; • to acknowledge the importance of moral education; and • to develop and education system that is rich in tradition but is cosmopolitan and culturally diverse

11. Lessons from Hong Kong’s reforms – content, coherence, consistency & coordination • CONTENT: BOTH TRADITIONAL & INNOVATIVE • COHERENCE: KEY LEARNING AREAS REPLACED SUBJECTS AS THE KEY CURRICULUM ORGANIZERS • CONSISTENCY: A COMMON PHILOSOPHY PROVIDED THE FOUNDATION FOR ALL KLAs AND FOR LEARNING IN GENERAL. • COORDINATION: THE REFORM WAS SUPPORTED BY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES AND LIASIONS WITH TEACHER EDUCATION PROVIDERS AS WELLA S WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS

12. Standards and the curriculum – what can be learnt from Hong Kong? Content standards were designed to encourage the highest achievement of every student, by defining the knowledge, concepts, and skills that students should acquire at each grade level. (California State Board of Education)

13. Source: Basic Education Curriculum Guide, Booklet 1, p.8 Curriculum standards include subject knowledge/concepts , skills (specific and generic) and attitudes/values Content standards were designed to encourage the highest achievement of every student, by defining the knowledge, concepts, and skills that students should acquire at each grade level. (California State Board of Education)

14. Standards…by another name….

15. Standards by any other name…. Learning outcomes, Learning objectives, Learning targets, Content standards the terms are used interchangeably across the region SEAMEO BASIC EDUCATION STANDARDS (SEA-BES) REPRESENT THE FIRST ATTEMPT AT REGION - WIDE EDUCATION REFORM

16. The challenge…. Can we look across Science and Mathematics curriculum in SEAMEO countries and: • identify a set of common curriculum standards ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????? BUT WHY????? and FOR WHOM?

17. WHY? • Equity across SEAMEO countries; • Quality education for all SEAMEO students; • Efficient use of SEAMEO resources; • Effective learning for all SEAMEO students’ • Mobility for SEAMEO students THINK REGIONALLY

18. FOR WHOM? • Common Core Regional Standards will NOT replace member country curriculum guidelines/frameworks /syllabuses etc. • Common Core Regional Standards WILL provide benchmarks for curriculum development in SEAMEO member countries. • Common Core Regional Standards WILL be of most interest to Ministries of Education and curriculum development agencies or in systems where school based curriculum development is encouraged.

19. Content standards were designed to encourage the highest achievement of every student, by defining the knowledge, concepts, and skills that students should acquire at each grade level. (California State Board of Education)