In Hong Kong, various changes in education policy have taken place since the 1980s in response to the different impacts generated by globalization, the application of information technology and changes in political, economic and educational en vironments. During the transitional period, various education policies on curriculum reform were implemented for the preparation for the return of sovereignty to China. In 1996 General Studies, a new integrated subject, was introduced as one of the core s ubjects in the primary curriculum. It aims at preparing children for a comprehensive education in the course of the primary education. Children are guided to acquire basic knowledge related to the individual, family, society, science and technology and th e natural world. General Studies also aims to equip children "with skills and attitudes and enable them to solve problems which they encounter now and in the future so that they can gain understanding of their world, develop positive attitudes and be read y to be good citizens". As Hong Kong was going to reintegrate with the People's Republic of China, in order to help pupils to have increased knowledge about China, the syllabus contents of Primary five and six were extended beyond Hong Kong to China and t he world as a whole. This paper analyses the aims, objectives, contents and the implementation of the General Studies syllabus. The aim is to study whether the subject helps develop the national identity in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the P eople's Republic of China. The significance of this study is to provide suggestions to strengthen pupils' awareness of their Chinese national identity.
自80年代以來，因應全球化、資訊科技的應用、政治、經濟和教育環境 的轉變，香港推行不少教育改革。過渡期間，香港的課程亦作出不少改革。一九九六年 開始常識科已成為香港的小學的共同核心課程中的一科。常識科不單培養兒童獲取 知識，亦著重技能和正確的態度。 目的是讓兒童學會如何解決問題、培養積極的態度、和做個良好的公民。因中國對 香港恢復行使主權，常識科的課程選材亦由香港擴闊至中國和世界。本文分析常識科 課程的目標、宗旨、內容和推行的情況，旨在研究常識科能否培養學生認同中國人的 身份，並提出建議以增強學生對中國人的身份的醒覺。
[Copyright of New Horizons: The Journal of Education

課程改革是教育改革的要項，而成長課則是學校輔導中全方位輔導系統的重點。本文探討課程改革與學校輔導在香港教育革中的位置，以及它們與教育改革的關係。文章首先討論教育改革和輔導的基本精神，然後討論課程改革與成長課的關係及互相重疊之處，並建議一個融合以上系統的理念架構。最後，本文提出在跨越界限（border crossing）時，教育工作者和輔導人員要留意的地方。
One of the important aspects of education reform is curriculum reform, in which the personal growth curriculum is a vital part of the comprehensive guidance system. This article first discusses the role of curriculum reform and school guidance within the overall framework of education reform in Hong Kong. The discussion then focuses on the relationship and overlaps between curriculum reform and personal growth curriculum, and recommends a conceptual framework that incorporates the above systems. The article concludes with some essential points that educators and counseling professionals should take note of when crossing borders.
[Copyright of Asian Journal of Counselling is the property of The Hong Kong Professional Counselling Association at http://www.hkpca.org.hk/]

背景：一項全港首次進行的「幼兒教育質素意見調查」中，發現培養幼兒「藝術修養」及「創意」被評為最不受重視的教育素質項目。踏入廿一世紀，新科技，新概念不斷湧現，單靠傳統的知識灌輸已不足夠，教育需要與時並進，作出改變。
調查目的：探討如何透過「開放式」美勞活動提升兒童創造力，並研究何種形式的美勞教學方式有效提升兒童的創造力。
調查對象：年齡介乎5-6歲之間的8名幼稚園高班兒童及研究者 (教師)，在兒童進行美勞活動課程時，以個別的形式進行觀察；另該校校長被邀請作為觀察者對教師引導兒童進行美勞活動時的創意行為表現及特性作記錄
方法：採用「隨機抽樣」的方式，由教師 (研究員) 抽出年齡介乎5-6歲之間的8名幼稚園高班兒童，透過直接的觀察法及觀察評量表，在兒童進行美勞活動課程時，以個別的形式進行觀察；另邀請該校校長運用教師教學行為特性觀察評量，記錄教師引導兒童進行美勞活動時的創意行為表現及特性。以攝錄機拍攝活動進行時整個過程，透過錄影帶再附以評量表觀察兒童的行為表現及教師教學行為的特性。
結果：結果顯示「開放式」的美勞活動透過學習環境能有效提升兒童的創造力，創意的教師能有效推動「開放式」的美勞活動，使成為培育兒童創造力的催化劑。
總結：「開放式」的美勞活動能將兒童引入創作的空間，教師扮演的角色、採用的教學模式，和在環境上作出適當的預備和配合，可使兒童的創造力得以發展。
Background: In a territory–wide "quality early childhood education survey" conducted in Hong Kong recently, it was found that nurturing children's "artistic cultivation" and "creativity" has been rated the least quality and attention in the survey. The turn of the century, new technology, new concepts continue to emerge, traditional knowledge alone is not enough, education required to move with the time, and to make changes.
Aim: The study explores how the "open-ended" art and craft activities enhance children's creativity, and to study the mode of art and craft teaching methods that are effective to enhance children's creativity.
Sample: The study includes the researcher (class teacher), 8 randomly selected children aged from 5-6 in the upper class, and the kindergarten principal as the inter-rater.
Method: Direct observations are conducted on 8 children and the class teacher in the art and craft activities. By using direct observation, video-taping and rating scale, children's creative behavior and the characteristic of the class teacher's behavior are observed for further analysis. The principal was invited to be an inter-rater to observe the art and craft activities and score the teacher to establish inter-rater reliability.
Result: The study shows that "open-ended" art and craft activities effectively enhance children's creativity