Government focuses on IT education
11 - 03 - 2004

The Government is committed to promoting the use of information technology (IT) by the education sector and to training more IT professionals.

Opening the ICT (Information and Communications Technology) Showcase 2004 at Hong Kong Baptist University today (March 11), the Director of Information Technology Services, Mr Alan Wong Chi-kong, said the Government was committed to fostering Hong Kong's IT development and encouraging IT adoption by enterprises and the public.

In the 2004 Digital 21 Strategy announced last week, one of the Government's eight main areas of action is to work with educational and vocational training institutions and the industry to enhance the training and skills of the workforce and the next generation.

"In light of our vision for education, the Government is formulating the strategic directions for the further development of IT in education," Mr Wong said.

The Government is also working closely with the education sector and training institutes, which are encouraged to review and improve their IT programmes to reflect advancements in the IT industry and cater for the demand for IT professionals in the market.

The Information Technology Education Resource Centre was set up to give teachers of various subjects access to IT resources.

Basic IT training was provided to some 46,000 teachers and 4,600 teaching assistants in Hong Kong. They are now capable of handling basic computer operations, such as word processing and website browsing, and using educational software.

To further enhance teachers' IT skills, the "IT in Education Refresher Training Courses" for primary and secondary school teachers have been organised since 1998.

Subsidies to help primary and secondary schools buy computer equipment were provided over the past five years. At the end of last year, all schools were equipped with Internet access, with more than 90% of them using broadband services. Most secondary schools and over 75% of primary schools have also set up their own websites.

The percentage of primary school students having knowledge of using computers rose from 60.3% in 2000 to 94.5% in 2002, while that of secondary school students increased from 90.8% in 2000 to 99.3% in 2002, indicating the effectiveness of the Government's IT education measures.

In 2000, the Government launched the Hong Kong Education City website (www.hkedcity.net), a joint effort by the Government, education sector, business organisations and social service associations to develop an online learning portal and provide wholesome and educational information.

Recording more than 3.3 million page views per day, the website has become the largest and most popular education portal in Hong Kong. Apart from the management of school accounts and the iClassroom launched during the SARS outbreak last year, the website provides teaching resources and services.

Mr Wong called on school principals, teachers and students to use the online resources and to help expand the content of the website. This would encourage exchange of information and enhance the learning process, he said.

Mr Wong said the ICT Showcase 2004, which ends on Saturday (March 13), offered a golden opportunity for principals and teachers to share their experiences in the use of IT in education. It also allowed industry players to present the latest technologies and extend the horizons of teaching and learning.

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