The initial and ongoing research conducted by Educational Development and Research section of Hong Kong society for Education in Art, provides a better understanding of existing teaching materials within discipline of art for both primary and secondary school. This study serves a practical purpose of exploring art teacher's perceptions and options about the chief characteristics of significant teaching materials (primarily textbook) in the subject; and traces the interrelations between art teaching and textbook in Hong Kong, from major emphasis on curriculum implementation to studio activities. To fulfill the above aims, the project would collect research data to carry forward recommendations for art subject developments and attention to those pioneers in art textbook survey and writing.

Hong Kong provides a nine-year free education to every child. There are altogether 476,582 children go to school everyday. We believe that the children are learning what we planned for them. It is only until August 1999, the public is shocked by the results of the Hong Kong Certificate of Education. It is because the result shows that in sixteen schools, half of their candidates got zero mark in their examined subjects. In one school, over 80% of the candidates got zero mark for all subjects (Sing Tao Daily, 28-8-1999, p. A3). This scenario reviews that not only the students have learnt so little after a five-year schooling but also more serious is that it rings the alarm bell of our education system. So, before it is too late, an evaluation of the learned curriculum in the primary school sector is in need. Are the official learning objectives well received and understood by our primary school students? With reference to the official curriculum, the focus of this research is to examine the primary school graduates knowledge in Art after six years study in Art and Craft.

In the Education Reform in Hong Kong, music is a discipline of study within the Art Education Key Learning Area. The music curriculum for primary and secondary schools takes on new considerations both in content and in implementation. Up to the present, the reform has been in place for over two years being introduced in 2000. The success of the implementation is governed by the contributions of various stakeholders including the schools, public bodies rendering educational services and supports and the education policy makers of the Government of Hong Kong SAR. A brief review of the state-of-the-art in schools will be presented, followed by an overview of the development of the music curriculum guide by the Curriculum Development Councial Committee on Art Education Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; a document which is currently in its final stage of consultation. The merits of the guideline and the possible challenges to music teachers in schools will be discussed. The new insights in the provision of music in primary and secondary schools requires a refreshing of music teacher education programmes, including those offered at Hong Kong Institute of Education.

近年香港社會急劇轉型，學童問題日趨嚴重，自殺、霸凌、濫藥等情況日熾。不少社會賢達以為問題源於學童缺乏對生命的關愛及省思。故此，不少辦學團體、學校和教育工作者嘗試透過生命教育方式，開展德育及公民教育專項，強健學童心志，藉此回應知識型社會及資訊科技時代對學童成長的挑戰。本文並非學術研究，旨在分享生命教育專業經驗：透過六所香港學校推行的孝親教學單元，嘗試疏理校本生命教育課程的現況，討論其良好經驗，並提供改善建議。
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