Background: The Project Yi Jin (PYJ), an alternative pathway for secondary school leavers and adults to further their education, has been receiving full support from the government, the Federation for Continuing Education in Tertiary Institutions (FCE) in Hong Kong and the public. Graduates of PYJ have the equivalent academic status of their counterparts in the main stream education. It was first implemented in 2000/01 by the FCE and has been offered to more than 35,000 students by 2006/07. With the success of the programme as a safety-net for a mass education system, it should continue to function more vigorously as new reforms are being implemented in the Hong Kong education scene in the future. The Chief Executive in his 2004 Policy Address has set out the direction to develop a new secondary and university system, i.e., (3+3) for secondary + 4 (tertiary) [the old one is (3+2+2)+3], to be launched in 2010/11, that will effectively prepare the next generation to cope with the challenges of the 21st century and the demands of the rapidly developing knowledge-based society. The new system, together with substantial modified curricula including the newly developed applied learning courses (ApL), is supposed to be able to look after all secondary students.
Aims and focus of discussion: This paper aims to argue the necessity of launching a new version of Project Yi Jin (nPYJ) concurrently together with the new 3+3+4 academic system. In light of the contemporary global educational systems as compared to that of Hong Kong, it is postulated that the launching of nPYJ as a continuation of the successful PYJ is both legitimate and indispensable with regard to the carefully observed current global fashion of lifelong learning and continuing education in which diversity, equity, and flexibility are highly valued.
Method: A comprehensive comparative review was carried out on eleven selected oriental and occidental countries and regions, namely, Australia, Canada, Germany

Background: In the early 1980s, the author of this article researched, in her M.Ed thesis, the state of adult education in Hong Kong with regard to its general support and delivery through university channels. At that time, adult education had a separate identity and, since, has generally become vocationalized, creditized or subsumed into postsecondary education and part-time higher education. Dr. Shak's recent book to be published: Lifelong Education: Consensus in Characteristics and Practices (2008), describes what adult education has evolved into globally. In this article, her research of the 1980s is revisited and considered in contemporary context.
Aims: The study explored a training programme for adult educators in universities in Hong Kong. Administrative arrangements, including funding, staffing, the provision of facilities, and a curriculum were of key focus. Interviewees were immersed in the adult education of their era.
Method: An examination of administrative arrangements and development of curriculum was done based on a needs assessment model. Identification of problems was based on literature internationally, and questionnaires and interviews with respect to relative stakeholders.
Results: Findings were that, for adult education, universities were ideal for training administrators and specialists who could, in turn, provide part-time in-service training for volunteers and part-time teachers. Further, an appropriate curriculum was devised.
Conclusion: Dr. Shak's research of some 25 years ago yielded seven recommendations, all of which--of interest--now characterize (in some form) not only education in Hong Kong, but also continuing education and lifelong education globally today. This article provides information that highlights the historical, conceptual, and empirical development of adult education and its derivatives that point the way to the future.
背景：早在20世紀80年代，在她的碩士論文裡，作者已經研究了在香港通過大學的管道為成年人教育提供支持和幫助的狀況。那時，成人教育已經成 一種另類的個體

香港教育委員會於一九九五年成立學校教育檢討小組，負責評估實施了近二十年的強迫教育政策，為發展世紀的教育作好準備。教統會更於一九九九年提出『終身學習、自強不息』的教育改革建議，其中有關普及礎教育方面的原則，更是落實政策方向的先聲。本文以訪談形式，探究多位在大學任職的教育工作者，有關普及基礎教育的個人經驗和看法，對九年強迫教育政策，特別在課程管理、社會因素等問題提出獨特的意見。大多數受訪者認為政策重量不重質、目標不明確、課程改革不能切合社會需要等。其批評和實用的建議，對認識、分析和探究今後香港課程發展，有重大的啟示。
The Board of Education formed a committee in 1995 to review about school education after the introduction of 9-year compulsory education policy for nearly 20 years. This is a preparation for the development of education in the new millenium. The Education Commission proposed the idea of 'Learning for Life' as a major trend of the education reform in 1999. The guidelines in compulsory school education are among the forefront of the policy proposal. This is a report of the interviews with 7 curriculum scholars about their views in 9-year compulsory school education, especially in the area of curriculum management and social factors. These scholars generally felt that past policy was biased in the direction of quantity rather than quality, had no clear aims and objectives and could not fit the need of the society. Their criticism and suggestions were in depth and practical. It would shed important light to the understanding and analysis of curriculum development in the coming years.
[Copyright of New Horizons: The Journal of Education, Hong Kong Teachers' Associationl is the property of Hong Kong Teachers' Association at http://www.hkta1934.org.hk/]

有關香港大學教育學制的爭議，從五十年代討論中大的成立時已曾發生；自中大於六三年成立後，香港兩間大學是各有其年制和自行收生的，形成了中學教育的雙軌制。七十年代中大反對四改三運動亦是一個學制爭議；及後港府以合併預科考試為題，在教統會第三號報告書中，統一了中學學制，要求各大專院校採用劃一的取錄程式，間接地促使了香港高等教育全面走向英式專才。回歸後，特區政府提出全面檢討教育制度，其中關鍵點是大學學制；為此教統會提出一體化的三年高中教育，這將使香港大學學制邁向六四制，與國際主流學制接軌。此文重點是以歷史角度剖析上個世紀以來香港學制的四次爭議。
There are four debates on the duration of undergraduate programme in Hong Kong at last century. Since the Chinese University of Hong Kong is established in 1963, the two universities have their own system in admission and duration of undergraduate programme. The Hong Kong University with three-year undergraduate programme serves pupils from Anglo-Chinese School and admits them according their results in the Advance Level Examination. While the CUHK admits pupils from Chinese Middle School with Higher Level Examination results. However, Education Commission in ECR3 on 1986 suggests combining the two matriculations. After reunion, the Chief Executive of HKSAR government entrust the EC to conduct a comprehensive review of the education system. Later the EC suggest providing a new three-year senior secondary education. It seems there may be another change to be happen in the duration of undergraduate programme in Hong Kong. No matter how, it is worthy for people to have a historical review on this issue.
[Copyright of New Horizons: The Journal of Education, Hong Kong Teachers' Associationl is the property of Hong Kong Teachers' Association at http://www.hkta1934.org.hk/]

全球化下的教育改革深入到了幼兒教育領域，"終身學習、全人發展"觀念下幼兒教育面臨了新的機遇和挑戰。本文立足於美國和香港兩地在幼兒教育機構質量和幼稚園質素保證、以及兩地學前教育課程改革的比較，探討兩地幼兒教育的異同，以及兩地在「全球化」影響下的「在地化」發展特點，以此深入探討，尋求香港幼兒教育發展的未來路向。
Globalization of education reform into the field of early childhood education, under the concept of Lifelong learning and All-round development, the early childhood education is facing some new opportunities and challenges. This article based on the comparison of early childhood education reform of two places that is the United States and Hong Kong, it focus on the early childhood education quality assurance and pre-school curriculum reform. Through discuss the similarities and differences, and the localization character in the globalization influence in the two places, we want to gain more useful experiences and find a better way to develop the future early childhood education.
[Copyright of Hong Kong Teachers' Centre Journal is the property of Hong Kong Teachers' Centre at http://www.edb.org.hk/hktc]

In the new millennium, there is an increasing global recognition of the importance of widening the access to higher education for accommodating students from all strata of the society for an equal educational opportunity as well as fostering the idea of life long learning and learning society (OECD, 1999a, 1999b, 2001; UNESCO, 1998). Responding to this global education reform, the SAR Education Commission proposed to encourage the establishment of various types of post-secondary colleges, while accommodating the existing institution (Education Commission, 1999, p. 22). The immediate result of the proposal was the establishment of several community colleges in early 2000, offering mainly Associate Degree programs. From the public, there are voices raising queries over the role of community college in the higher education system as well as whether community college can serve the similar function of traditional university in the provision of undergraduate education. The present paper attempts to introduce the different roles and models of community college in mass higher education systems in North America to highlight the merits and the functions of community college in mass higher education. The ultimate aim is to make some reflections on the development of community college in Hong Kong.
[Copyright of Hong Kong Teachers' Centre Journal is the property of Hong Kong Teachers' Centre at http://www.edb.org.hk/hktc]

自香港回歸中國，與珠三角地區的合作關係更為緊密。2009年香港特區政府施政報告提出發展香港成為區域教育樞紐和放寬內地學生來港入讀中學。本文首先回顧珠三角經濟融合的背景及教育在個中所扮演的角色，繼而探討珠三角融合與辦學範式的轉變和香港多元基礎教育辦學方式的發展路向，然後討論社會與教育界將面臨的困難和挑戰。
With the return of sovereignty to mainland China, the ties between Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta region have been strengthened as never before. The 2009-10 Policy Address has proposed developing Hong Kong as a regional education hub as well as exploring possibilities for mainland students to pursue studies at non-public-sector secondary schools in Hong Kong. This paper first reviews the background of economic integration between Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta. It then examines the changing role of education and the need for diversification and a pluralistic approach that schools could implement to fulfil basic education requirements in the context of rapid regional integration. A discussion of problems and challenges faced by educators and society is included in the conclusion.
[Copyright of Journal of Youth Studies is the property of The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups at http://yrc.hkfyg.org.hk/]