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

Background: During the period of British colonial rule, the nature of civic education in Hong Kong was characterized as denationalized, depoliticized and decontextualized. The 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration substantially altered the nature of civic education. The "China Today" module of Liberal Studies (LS) was one of the results of the re-engineering the civic education. The teachers' paradigms of the "China Today" module were explored because the module used national themes as materials to inculcate values in students and is directly related to both citizenship education and national education.
Aim: The aim of this study is to examine teachers' paradigms of the "China Today" module through their conceptualization of citizenship and their perspective on teaching. Samples: Four secondary teachers of the "China Today" module were invited to participate.
Methods: Questionnaires, semi-structured interviews and non-participant observation were used to assess the teachers' perception and practices.
Results: Data from the questionnaire and interviews revealed that the four teachers highly valued moral, socially concerned citizens and democratic citizens. In terms of aims and approaches to citizenship education, the four teachers embraced the notion of citizenship as competence as aim and reflective-inquiry approach, but only two teachers were able to carry them out in the classroom setting. Another two teachers used transmission approach.
Conclusion: Framed by the notion of citizenship as competence as their aim and equipped in issue-enquiry or reflective-inquiry approach, and experienced in developmental perspective on teaching, the CSS2 and CSS3 teachers were able to cultivate in student' dispositions and skills. Teachers unaware of the citizenship framework and unfamiliar with the developmental perspective on teaching found it difficult to cultivate rational aspects of students.
背景：在英國統治期間，香港公民教育有以下的特色：就是課程不涉及祖國和政治，並且沒有脈絡。1984年，中英聯合聲明大大改變這本質

Background: Recognizing that arts education is important in facilitating learning and in enhancing creativity in students, recent education reform in Hong Kong has sought to promote arts education and efforts to encourage creative expression through different art forms. Among different modes of creative arts expression, drawing has been suggested as the best choice for allowing creative expression by students with high ability in visual arts. Therefore, the connection between students' drawing and creativity warranted investigation.
Aims: This study explored the drawing abilities and creativity of Chinese students in Hong Kong based on their drawing performance, and examined their connection in relation to students' self-perceived artistic characteristics and involvement in drawing activities.
Sample: 105 Hong Kong Chinese primary and secondary school students, nominated by their schools to participate in the gifted programs of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, participated voluntarily in this study.
Method: Students completed two drawing tasks adapted from Clark's Drawing Abilities Test and a self-report questionnaire that included the Artistic Characteristics Scale of the Scales for Rating the Behavioral Characteristics of Superior Students and the Drawing Activity Checklist. The drawings were rated on students' drawing abilities and creativity by three Chinese visual artists as expert judges.
Results: Judges agreed more on their ratings on students' drawing abilities than on students' creativity. Judged drawing abilities and creativity were found to be moderately but significantly correlated. While judged drawing abilities were found to correlate significantly with students' self-reported artistic characteristics and drawing activities, judged creativity was found to correlate minimally with these variables.
Conclusion: This study provided supportive evidence on the connection between drawing abilities and creativity. The findings

背景：在幼兒課程中，韻律活動 (rhythmic activity) 是音樂和體能活動不可缺少的主要學習經驗，但是從筆者的視導經驗和近期研究結果 (Wong & Chu，2001) 均顯示現在香港的學前韻律活動明顯地缺乏創意感、韻律感和運動感。加上目前香港學前的韻律活動課程的推行受到外在和內在因素的限制，是時候需要將非創意及系統化的韻律活動課程作出改革。
目的或討論焦點：本文旨在與讀者分享「創意韻律教育」(Creative Eurhythmic Education) 的理念、原則和推動方法，讓幼教工作者能夠嘗試採用「創意韻律教育」提升她/他們的教學效能; 設計此創意韻律教育課程模式之目的是改革現在香港的音樂律動課程，將普遍老師們已遺忘的韻律元素再次重述，引起她們的關注。
論點/評論/建議：本文強調，在課程的發展中運用嶄新的幼兒運動-音樂課程模式： 創意(Creativity)、音樂技能與概念 (Musical Skills & Concepts)、運動技能與概念 (Movement Skills & Concepts)、暢態與綜合活動 (Flow-Integration) 等元素，教師能提升兒童自我表達的能力，並能帶領兒童在各方面進行創作; 作者亦確信透過每天有系統的課程安排，兒童在創意韻律教育方面得益甚豐。嶄新的課程模式更強調創意的教育價值，將韻律課程發展於適合學生的能力、興趣、意欲和需要，而主題綜合活動則聯繫各獨特之韻律元素，使它們成為有生機和互動相連的全方位課程。最後，整個音樂律動課程的改革帶給教師們「暢態」的忘我歡暢之意境。
總結：新穎課程能成功的推行有賴教師的投入程度、擁有足夠的運動-音樂專業知識、技能和態度、重視教學的過程和多給予「鷹架作用」刺激兒童挑戰自我極限; 創設適切的運動-音樂學習環境，足夠的教學資源、器材和設施、教學時數和每週次數、專業支援與協助和校本的運動-音樂文化也是推行新穎課程的重要外在因素。
Background: In the preprimary curriculum, rhythmic activity is an essential learning experience in music and movement activity. From the supervision experiences and recent researches of Wong & Chu (2001), it is found that the rhythmic activity conducted in kindergarten is obviously lack of creativity, sense of rhythmic and sense of movement. Moreover, some external and internal factors and have hindered the implementation of rhythmic activity in kindergarten. There is a need to have a change from uncreative and tradition curriculum to an innovative one.
Objectives and Focus: This study aims to share with the readers the philosophy of Creative Eurhythmic Education, its principles and ways of implementation which encourages preprimary teachers and workers to adopt the Creative Eurhythmic Education Model in order to improve their teaching effectiveness. The aims for designing such kind of Creative Eurhythmic Education model are to make changes to Hong Kong music and movement curriculum, and to arouse kindergarten teachers' the concerns to integrate the rhythmic elements during the music movement activity.
Comment/Suggestions:

Background: "Spirituality Education" of children has gained more concern in recent years, but there is a lack of consensus for its meaning. Some literatures regard Spirituality Education as Religious Education, while quite many literatures have shown a close relationship between Spirituality Education and Humanistic Education, which could be unrelated with Religious Education. What is the meaning of "Spirituality Education" being mentioned by the ECE reformers after all? Is it the former or the later? The Guide to the Pre-primary Curriculum (2006) proposed "Lifelong learning" and "Holistic Learning", affirming the need of child-centredness (Humanistic Education) in curriculum. If so, there is a likelihood that "Spirituality Education"has a closer connection with humanistic education than with religious education. It is therefore vital to clarify the meaning of "Spirituality Education"for fostering the current early childhood educational reform. This paper seeks to explore if Spirituality Education has been misunderstood by the early childhood education practitioners with a result that hindering the implementation of educational reform.
Focus of Discussion: Through literatures review and the author's interpretation, this paper attempts to demonstrate that Spirituality Education is actually closely related with Humanistic Education and Holistic Education. Spirituality Education shares similar elements with that of liberal studies, in which the concerned areas and aspects of knowledge are widespread. Hence, it is not limited in promoting Religious Education. And pedagogies adopted in Spirituality Education mainly emphasize diversified and critical thinking. The rationales behind Spirituality Education are closely related with that of Humanistic Education and Holistic Education. Spirituality Education has no direct relation with Religious Education which emphasizes direct transmission of religious dogma.
Suggestion: In view of the importance of the role of Spirituality

背景： 教育界同工近年積極鼓吹小班教學，建議將小班人數由30 人減至25 人，目的之一是要讓老師有更有效地提升學生在智慧、情意和通用能力各方面的發展。香港教育學院近年亦推出『教大理想』(即成為教育大學的理想)、提升優質的教育，前年更設立『宗教教育與心靈教育中心』，提倡教育工作者應多關顧有關心靈教育的問題。這所中心是八間大專院校中獨一無二、也是香港教育學院在教育研究及理論實踐上最為突出的一個教育中心。因此，這也該是時候認真地反思教育的使命，本文作者提出一個關顧心靈教育的芻議，盼望能拋磚引玉，擦出進深探究教 育使命的火花來。
討論焦點： 本文嘗試從理念入手，按三個分題去思考，分別是：(一) 心靈教育是甚麼？；(二) 為甚麼需要關顧心靈的教育？；(三) 怎樣推行關顧心靈的教育？。筆者特別提出三個推行關顧心靈教育的方法作為芻議，分別是：(一) 觸動學生的心靈； (二) 創造學生心靈的空間； 和(三) 從時間上、空間上及素質上三方面提升學生心靈的境界。
建議： 盼望教育當局投放更多資源推動關顧學生心靈的教育；從事教育工作者今後亦更多地關注學生的心靈、並能更有效地推動關顧學生心靈的教育。
總結：教育工作者重要任務之一是要喚醒受教者向善的心靈、幫助他們活出更美好的生活、尋求積極性的自我超越。心靈教育的目的就是要幫助學生認識自己、肯定生命的價值、發揮自我的潛能，建立更正面、更積極的人生觀。
Background: Hong Kong Educators have been proposing small-class teaching, reducing the number of pupils per class from 30 to 25. One reason for the change is to provide more space for teachers so that they can care more about the pupils’ individual needs. Whereas Hong Kong Institute of Education has been promoting its reposition to University of Education which enhances its wider concern for quality and holistic ideals, the institute has also established a Centre for Religious and Spirituality Education in order to demonstrate such a concern and to strengthen its commitment to holistic and spirituality education. It is indeed the proper time for us to re-think educational mission of schools and the present paper is doing precisely this fine job and a proposal is made for the implementation of spirituality education in schools of Hong Kong today.
Aims or focus of discussion: Three questions will be raised and discussed in this paper, namely: (a) what is spirituality education?; (b) why is spirituality education needed in school education today?; and (c) how to promote spirituality education in schools today? The author is going to suggest three ways for the promotion of spirituality education in schools, namely: (a) touching the soul/spirit of the pupils; (b) creating more space for spiritual growth; and (c) lifting up the spirits of the pupils by cultivating

致力培育創意及想像力的藝術教育對香港社會經濟轉型應能發揮積極作用。藝術教育所培養巿民藝術情操及優質文化，對巿容面貌的改善及提升香港成為亞洲文化大都會有深遠的貢獻。檢視香港教育改革及學校藝術教育課程，有助反省香港學校美育發展的方向和成效。2001 年6 月香港教育署課程發展處公佈《學會學習》學校課程改革文件，將整體課程分類為八個學習領域︰中國語文、英國語文、數學、科學、科技、個人及社會學科、藝術及體育等，學校教育強調全方位學習、課程統整、減少現有課程內容。《學會學習——學習領域藝術教育》將藝術教育分為四大學習目標︰培育創意及想像力、發展藝術創作技能與過程、培育評賞藝術能力、認識藝術的情境等。並以課程架構模式發展校本課程。本文從官方公佈的資料及與西方新近學校藝術教育課程比較，批判分析香港學校藝術教育的新近發展。
Arts Education which develops people's sense of creativity and enhances imagination will undoubtedly play an important role in the period of economic transition of Hong Kong. In addition, Arts education not only may nurture Arts and culture of a high calibre, but also will contribute to the improvement of the image of the Hong Kong city to become an Asian metropolitan. The review of the recent education reform and the change of school arts education curriculum in Hong Kong provide us with a chance on the direction and effectiveness of school arts education. In June 2001 the Curriculum Development Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region released the document of curriculum reform, Learning to Learning which divides all subjects into eight key learning areas: Chinese Language, English Language, Mathematics, Science, Technology, Individual and Social Subjects, Physical Education and Arts. According to the document, school education should emphasize learning from all directions with an integrated curriculum, reducing the bulky contents of the current curriculum, etc. Moreover, the document, Learning to Learn—Learning Area : Arts Education suggests four learning objectives of Arts education: Developing Creativity & Imagination, Developing Skills and Processes, Cultivating Critical Response, and Understanding Arts in Context. The document suggests the use of a curriculum framework to help school develop a school-based curriculum. This paper is to study and compare the local official documents with those of Arts education in western countries and critically analyse the problems and development of the school