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Pisa 'is a pointer for education reforms'

Polly Hui

Education reform has had positive results but more effort is needed to cope with student diversity and to reduce exam pressure, Permanent Secretary for Education Fanny Law Fan Chiu-fun said yesterday.

Speaking at the Pisa International Conference held at Chinese University, Mrs Law said she took pride in Hong Kong's outstanding performance in the Programme of International Student Assessment.

The study assessed 15-year-old students' literacy in reading, maths and science in 43 countries. The report, released in June, ranked Hong Kong first in maths, third in science and sixth in reading.

The government would use the study to chart the progress of reforms and help identify its future direction, Mrs Law said. Another round of assessment had just been completed and would provide further data useful to policymakers.

The lower achievement of boys in reading remained a concern, she said. She also highlighted students' over-reliance on competitive learning strategies, the outcome of an exam-orientated system. 'Assessment is probably the weakest link in our education system. We have to reorient teachers and parents to use assessment more as a feedback process to improve learning.'

The study showed Hong Kong was doing well in supporting low achievers, but not so well at promoting excellence at the top. 'This is perhaps a reflection of the traditionally-skewed emphasis on science and maths in our gifted education,' Mrs Law said.

Asked to comment on Hong Kong's relatively low per student investment in basic education - 60 per cent of the average for OECD countries - Mrs Law said: 'We were ranked top in maths. This shows our resources are being used effectively.'

Conference speakers included Andreas Schleicher, head of the international study. He pointed to Finland as the best model, it having performed the best with the least differences between schools. 'The study can strengthen international collaboration between educators and provide evidence-based findings for policymakers,' he said.

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