Chinese University of Hong Kong (CU) will offer its first education degree programme for matriculation students in the next academic year.
Cecilia Chun Ka-wai, assistant professor with CU's Department of Curriculum and Instruction, said the four-year Bachelor of Education (Language Education) conformed with new education policy requirements that all teachers have a degree qualification by 2000.
'The new programme equips would-be teachers with a high-level language ability and teaching skills, and requires students to acquire credits from general and physical education, and other disciplines,' Professor Chun said.
The education degree programme formerly was available to students who had completed teacher-training studies at the Hong Kong Institute of Education (HKIEd).
Students wanting to be teachers would do their A-Levels, followed by two or three years at HKIEd. They then would study for the degree.
'This is the first programme designed specifically for A-Level students,' Professor Chun said.
Ho Wai-kit, also an assistant professor with the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, said the degree programme offered comprehensive training for would-be teachers. 'In the past, students tended to adapt to the teaching mode of the teacher, but now it's vice versa,' he said.