To respond to the growing concerns about the need for university students to learn generic skills to complement their disciplinary expertise, many universities have included General Education (GE) in their curriculum. A new general education framework entitled "General University Requirements" (GUR) was implemented at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) in the 2012/13 academic year. A fiveyear longitudinal project using multiple evaluation strategies was conducted to evaluate the GUR, including objective outcome evaluation (online survey), Collegiate Learning Assessment Plus (CLA+), subjective outcome evaluation (Student Feedback Questionnaire), and qualitative evaluation (focus groups, longitudinal case studies and document analyses). With reference to the second year of program implementation, results from different evaluation strategies consistently demonstrated that the GUR subjects were effective in promoting the five desired graduate attributes as defined by PolyU (i.e., problem solving, critical thinking ability, effective communication, ethical leadership and lifelong learning). Both students and teachers perceived the subject contents, teaching and learning methods, and teaching staff in GUR subjects favorably though several challenges were also noted. Copyright © 2015 by Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.

近年本港出現多所由教育統籌局倡議成立的特殊學校暨資源中心，期望能為就讀於主流學校的具特殊教育需要學童及其教師提供支援，解決他們在學與教上面對的困難。這些特殊學校暨資源中心除提供一般的特殊教育服務外，承擔了融合教育的先導角色。就此，政府理應清晰地保證其適切的資源投入；在營運過程中，鼓勵及輔導這些機構因應實際需求，提供多元化的支援服務；而對其產出亦要有一定的問責機制，監察資源的投放是否能符合成本效益原則。這項措施實為本地特殊教育發展的一個重要里程，其成敗關係著融合教育的推展是否暢順，相信這是業界的共識。 本文作者從教育政策的制定、學校組織變改革兩個視點嘗試初步分析這項措施，指出多項在應然及實然層面間可能存在的問題，並提出知識型經濟社會下特殊學校暨資源中心的存在意義及可能模式。期望能引起業界關注及討論。 With the recent development on the pilot project to develop special schools into resource centers by the Education and Manpower Bureau for supporting students with special educational needs being integrated into the mainstream schools, a number of special schools are acting as pioneers for developing integrated education in Hong Kong. The Government should therefore take an active role for providing resources as well as monitoring the impact of the pilot project as the project will become one of the key milestones in the development of special education services as well as integrated education in Hong Kong. The article attempted to discuss the important issues involved in developing special schools into resource centers and the possible strategies for promoting such development.
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香港的教育及課程改革要求學校進行各層面的變化去配合社會需要，主流及特殊學校都積極在主流的基礎課程上進行學校本位課程發展的工作，校本課程發展無可避免為學校執行「個別化教育計劃」帶來了有系統的改變；學校亦要進行有步驟的教師培訓去提升教師的專業能力及賦權教師推動校本課程及對特殊教育需要的支援。本文描述兩間收取中度智障學生的特殊學校，如何按部就班地重整課程及發展學習階段性課程為本的基線評估去匡監察學生進度。其中並討論所涉及以行動取向研究歷程的各種改變元素，從而確立了一整個實施課程及「個別化教育計劃」的行政體系，使未來的檢視及發展工作有一個清晰的流程及行政管理系統去跟進，是值得持續推動及推廣的一個特殊學校發展系統，並提出對校本及中央課程發展政策的一些反思及啟示。 With the urge for school changes to meet the new societal demands by both the education and curriculum reform in Hong Kong, both mainstream and special schools are active in adopting the mainstream curriculum as the basis for their school-based development. School-based curriculum development will inevitably call for systemic changes on the implementation of the Individualised Education Program (IEP) of the students with special educational needs within these schools. Coupled with these changes will be the need for stepwise professional development to empower teachers with the professional competence to implement both the school-based curriculum and support measures for special needs. The paper provides an account of the process through which two special schools for moderately mentally handicapped children restructured their school curriculun and developed key stage wise and curriculum-based baseline assessment procedures for monitoring the progress of learning of their students. The various elements being involved with the school-based curriculum development process using action-oriented research as the guiding approach for its development were discussed. The project generated a clear flow process for implementing IEP and a comprehensive administrative system for further follow up and evaluation of the curriculum development process. Implications for further development work on school-based curriculum and the policy for central curriculum framework to support special needs were discussed.
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本文從台灣特殊教育立法的進程和內容,反思現行香港特殊教育立法的情況,並獲得以下九項啟示:1.儘快訂定特殊教育立法的時間表;2.加深及擴展特殊教育立法的層次;3.列明有關特殊教育的具體條文;4.增加特殊教育的經費,並列明特殊教育經費的比率;5.明訂特殊教育教師的任用資格及聘用流程;6.重新檢視及列明特殊學生鑑定和安置的內容;7.延伸及擴展特殊教育的服務對象;8.訂立罰則及特殊教育的申訴機制;9.加入本地特殊教育發展的具體條文。This paper reviews the process and contents of the legislation of special education in Taiwan and discusses its implications on the current legislation situation for special education in Hong Kong. The review reveals the need for nine actions. 1. To set up a time table for the legislation of special education in Hong Kong as soon as possible 2. To refine and expand the levels of legislation 3. To list out the specific clauses of legislation 4. To increase funding for special education and list out the ratio of funding5. To clearly lay down the employment qualifications of special education teachers and the recruitment procedure 6. To review and lay out the details for the identification, and placement of students with special educational needs 7. To extend and expand the service targets for special education 8. To set up terms of penalty and a complaint mechanism for special education and 9. To add specific clauses for the development of special education in Hong Kong.
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This paper looks at the evolving trend of government influence on schools and education across the world, and asks what is happening in Hong Kong in both mainstream and special education. Recent evidence would suggest that in many countries governments are starting to question the efficacy of current policies and practices. The challenge is for the Hong Kong government to reduce its quasi influence, and for teachers to begin to self-examine the efficacy of their teaching practices in terms of meeting the needs of each and every student in their classroom. There appears to be a conflict of interest between the needs of the state and the needs of the classroom. If teachers were to be given more responsib1ility for the learning progress of each student, rather than simply the overall progress of groups of students, current pedagogical practices would require a major paradigm shift. 本文就全球不斷進展的趨勢,檢視各國政府政策對學校及教育的影響,並探討香港主流教育與特殊教育的現況。最新資料顯示,不少國家的政府已開始懐疑現行政策及實踐的成效,香港政府要面對的挑戰,是如何減少它在形式上的影響及如何令老師開始自我審視在處理個別學生需要教學方法的效益。事實上,國家所認同的需要與課堂裹所期望的需要,像各有分歧。作者指出,如果老師要為每一個學生學習進展負責而不是為一群學生的整體進步為目標,則現行的教學實踐需經歷一次重大的範式轉移。
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