The quest for quality education and a learning society in Hong Kong

In the opening paragraph of the Policy Objective for the Education and Manpower Bureau of the Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), education is regarded as the key to the future development of Hong Kong. Like other societies, Hong Kong has to face the challenges of the twenty-first century and, therefore, there is a strong need to prepare Hong Kong for a rapidly changing knowledge-based global society. HKSAR is committed to providing quality education at all stages as it recognizes the significant role of education, not only in imparting basic knowledge and skills but also in nurturing people to be independent thinkers and life-long learners. In his recent Policy Address, Mr. Tung Chee Hwa, Chief Executive of HKSAR, has stressed the significant role of education and he also believes education policy is at the very core of social policy in Hong Kong. In order to offer quality education in Hong Kong, the Education Commission (EC) has started a comprehensive review of the existing education system, with the intention of drawing up a blueprint for the twenty-first century. In its recent review of the education system in Hong Kong, the EC has adopted the idea of ‘life-wide learning’ as the guiding principle.