The authors point out in the paper that, based on the results of a two-year pilot scheme, the Director of Education announced that a new extended pilot scheme would begin in September. A whopping $9.4 million was set aside to equip 75 additional schools with microcomputer systems (to a total of 105). The shortage of qualified computer studies staff was reflected. BASIC programming was the most popular, but more than 40% of students were eager to learn the use of commercial package. Thus, it might be necessary to achieve a balance between the "using computer" and the "understanding computers".

The authors report that the 30 schools, 5 Government and 25 aided, involved in a pilot scheme started its implementation in September 1982 and about 21 schools run their computer studies courses on their own budgets. The authors further report the findings of a survey that the estimated total number of students taking computer studies at the F. 4 level in 1982-83 was around 2,295; MICROSOFT BASIC was used in all the 35 schools; originally, the Education Department did not allocate any supporting staff or clerical staff to the pilot schools; 41% of the schools used textbooks published in Hong Kong, and 24% used textbooks published in the UK; the government had spent a sum of HK$1,700,000 to purchase the standard sets of equipment; and the ratio of expenditure/student was estimated by proportioning the student numbers of 929 for 22 schools to 1,267 for 30 schools, any extra equipment purchased by these schools on their own budgets

The author reports that a scheme was announced to incorporate Computer Studies in the local secondary schools, especially Mathematics curriculum. To the author, it seemed more preferable to introduce Computer Studies as the F. 6/7 level and to expand to F. 4/5 curriculum. Besides BASIC, such other language as ALGOL, FORTRAN, COBOL, PASCAL could be considered alternatives to BASIC. Also, teacher education for instructional computing should take place at both the in-service and pre-service levels.

This paper examines the potential uses of computers within the limitation of economic possibilities. The author points out that Computer Assisted Instruction (CAI) and Computer Managed instructions (CMI) referred to a wide range of educational techniques, and that a diagrammatic representation of the potential uses of computers related to the three broad categories: for education to live in a changing society; resource for learning; and for administration of educational services.

The authors report that in 1983, basing on the G.C.E. AL syllabus with slight modification for local needs at the intermediate level, Computer Studies was offered. Since 1982, 75 secondary schools had been given permission to teach computer studies, but only 30 of them were in the pilot scheme. Based on the findings of a survey, the authors point out that only 1/5 of computer studies teacher might have university/post-secondary school education background in computer application, and that they have difficulties in obtaining teaching materials and references and have to work over time.