edd 5213 education policy & practice in hk understanding the nature of education reform of...

EDD 5213Education Policy & Practice in HK

Understanding the Nature of Education Reform of HKSAR:

The Dialectics of Lifelong Learning

What is the natures of HKSAR education reform?

What are the factual features of the HKSAR education reform?

When did the HKSAR education reform begin?

What are the major policy documents stipulating the HKSAR education reform?

In Search for the Discursive Theme of the Education Reform of HKSAR

“As we head into the 21st century, rapid developments in communication and IT are bringing the world ever closer together. Hong Kong faces strong competition from neighbouring economies in many areas, including trade, finance, transportation, communication and tourism. …In the knowledge-based economy, existing knowledge is being updated at an everfaster pace. Our young people must be outward-looking, imbued with a spirit of exploration, able to make the best use of IT, able to master different kinds of knowledge, and willing to strive to improve through continuous learning. To enhance our competitiveness, Hong Kong has to shift to high value-added and technology-based production and services. We need people who are creative, versatile, knowledgeable and multi-talented. … In this competitive world, we are concerned about whether our education system can enable students constantly to strive for the pursuit of knowledge, whilst enjoying the fun of learning in the process, and about whether our students have the room to develop their potential, whilst bracing themselves for the challenges and competition ahead.” (Education Commission, 1999a, Pp.9-10)

The No 1 reform agenda is to construct “The lifelong learning academic structure” (Education Commission, 1999b, p. 19)

“The purpose of this report is to set out the general directions for curriculum development in Hong Kong for the next 10 years, to fulfil the version of enabling students to attain all-round development and life-long learning. (Curriculum Development Council, 2001, p. i)

What are the natures of HKSAR education reform?

What are the factual features of the HKSAR education reform?

When did the HKSAR education reform begin?

What are the major policy documents stipulating the HKSAR education reform?

What are the natures and features of lifelong learning and learning society?

In Search for the Discursive Theme of the

Education Reform of HKSAR

Lifelong Learning: Phenomena of Global Convergence of Education Reforms Education Reform in the UK

Lifetime learning: A policy framework (1996) The learning age: A renaissance for new Britain (1998)

Education Reform in the USA nation learning: Version for the 21st Century (1997)No Child Left Behind Act of 2001

Education Reform in CanadaKnowledge Matters: Skills and learning for Canadians (2002) Achieving excellence: Investing in people, knowledge and

opportunity (2002)

Myth of Lifelong Learning, Learning Soceity and Learning Economy

Education Reform in Australia National Board of Employment, Education and Training

(1996) Lifelong learning ―― Key issues Dept. of Education, Science and Training (1998) Learning

for life: Review of higher education financing and policy (1998)

Dept. of Education, Science and Training (2003) Lifelong learning in Australia

Education Reform in South Korea Ministry of Education Adapting Education to the

Information Age (2000-2004)

Education Reform in Singapore: Education for Learning Society in the 21st Century (2000)

Lifelong Learning: Phenomena of Global Convergence of Education Reforms

Education Reform in Taiwan 教育改革行動方案 , 1998


教育改革行動方案

行政院八十七年五月廿九日

台八十七教字第二六六九八號核定

壹、前言政府為有效推動教育改革工作，於教育部召開第七次全國教育會議之後，在八十三年九月二十一日成立「行政院教育改革審議委員會」，該委員會歷經兩年審慎研議，於八十五年十二月二日提出「教育改革總諮議報告書」，揭櫫教育改革五大方向：一、教育鬆綁；二、帶好每位學生；三、暢通升學管道；四、提升教育品質；五、建立終身學習社會，及八大改革之重點項目。嗣後，教育部融合「教育改革總諮議報告書」之具體建議，及「中華民國教育報告書－邁向二十一世紀的教育遠景」、「中華民國身心障礙教育報告書」、「中華民國原住民教育報告書」等長期研議之施政構想，於八十六年七月提出「教育改革總體計畫綱要」，並根據三十大項計畫綱要，研提具體的中長程計畫十八種、實施方案十二種，以為全面推動落實教育改革工作之依據。惟因整體教育改革工程，所涉範疇含蓋教育部整體業務，為明教育改革重點，乃根據行政院教育改革推動小組第六次會議之決議，綜合「教育改革總諮議報告書」及「教育改革總體計畫綱要」，擇取重點關鍵項目，彙成本行動方案，一以整合行政院各相關部會之力量戮力促成，二為嗣後考核教改成效之指標。

Education Reform in Taiwan 教育改革行動方案 , 1998

Education Reform in HKSAR Education Commission (2000) Education for Life and Educa

tion through Life

OECD (1991) The lifelong learners in the 1990s. OECD (1996) Lifelong learning for all. OECD (2001) Education policy analysis 2001. UNESCO (1996) Learning: The Treasure from within. European Commission (1995) Teaching and learning:

Towards the learning society



Conceptual and Methodological problems of Lifelong-Learning Education Reforms

Myth of Lifelong Learning, Learning Soceity and Learning Economy


Conceptual problems of lifelong learning “Lifelong learning has become an all-encompassing con

cept. Yet in spite of this scope, or probably because of it, there is no master concept of lifelong learning to be found among the many policy documents that have been written in the 1990s, whether by international organizations…or by national governments.” (Schuller et al., 2002, p.9)

Mayo points out that “despite the ‘suspiciously unchallengeable consensus’ that appears to surround it, the concept of lifelong learning has in fact been used in differing ways, as part of varying agenda.” (Mayo, 2002, p.200) )


Empirical problems of lifelong learning As the concept of lifelong learning is used in comparati

ve study of the policy convergences of education reforms in the context of globalization, we must take into consideration of Whitty’s caution that we may decontextualize the cases under study from their particular national economic, political, social and cultural situations and forcing "false universalism" onto them (Whitty et al., 1998, p.32).


Stephen J. Ball’s methodological specification of convergence of lifelong-learning education reforms (Ball, 1999) Simple convergence Paradigm convergence

“Education has a complex set of relationships to and within the processes of globalization. … I do want to suggest that there is a process of convergence of education and social welfare policies between countries which have very political and social welfare histories. I do not mean by this what might be called ‘simple convergence’, i.e. exactly the same policy being invoked in very different national settings, but rather a ‘paradigm convergence’, the invocation of policies with common underlying principles, similar operational mechanisms and similar first and second order effects: first order effects in terms of their impacts on practitioners, practice and institutional procedures and second order effects in terms of social justice ― patterns of access, opportunities and outcome.” (Ball, 1999, p. 198)



Stephen Ball’s methodological specification of convergence of lifelong-learning education reforms (Ball, 1999) Simple convergence Paradigm convergence

The Dialectics of Lifelong Learning Education Reform

The fundamental contradiction in capitalistic-democratic society Carnoy and Levin’s Schooling and Work i

n the Democratic State (1985)

“The schools are an arena of conflict because they have the dual role of preparing workers and citizens. The preparation required for citizenship in a democratic society based on equal opportunity and human rights is often incompatible with the preparation needed for job performance in a corporate system of work. On the one hand, schools must train citizens to know their rights under the law as well as their obligations to exercise these rights through political participation. On the other, school must train workers with the skills and personality characteristics that enable them to function in an authoritarian work regime. This requires a negation for the very political rights that make for good citizens.” (Carnoy & Levin, 1985, p. 245)


The fundamental contradiction in capitalistic-democratic society Carnoy and Levin’s Schooling and Work in th

e Democratic State (1985) The dialectics between the institutional imper

atives of capitalism and liberal democracy Lifelong learning for instrumental economicis

m Lifelong learning for social inclusion and poli

tical empowerment


An Analytical framework for lifelong learning education Reform

Underlying Principles

Operational Mechanism

Instrumental Economicism

Inclusion and Empowerment

EDD5213

Education Policy & Practice in HK

Understanding the Nature of Education Reform:The Dialectics of Lifelong Learning

(i)

Lifelong Learning for

Instrumental Economicism

The Underlying Principle of Lifelong Learning for Instrumental Economicism

Under to the institutional imperatives of the global-informational capitalism, lifelong learning is defined as the vital policy measure by the competition state to meet the challenges of the global-informational market.

Within this policy paradigm, the objectives of lifelong learning and education have been defined as At individual level, increasing the employability o

f school-leavers and upskilling the productivity of the existing labor force to meet the needs of the globally mobile capital

At national level, enhancing the competitiveness of the national economy in global market


Within this policy paradigm, the objectives of lifelong learning and education have been defined as Local and intrinsic values of education are replac

ed by global and extrinsic value of education, i.e. the dominance of instrumentality rationality over substantive rationality in education discourse

Commodification and globalization of national education, i.e. the predominant aim of education reform is to meet global economic imperatives, such as the requirements of the multi-national capital, the international organizations and the global market mechanism in general.


Example from UK

“If we are to be internationally competitive, improve our standard of living and succeed in the world, we must do much more to ensure that we are a learning nation. The skill revolution is now underway, but we need to intensify it. We need a concerted, continuous effort. Enhancing our education and training performance is the single most important ingredient in ensuring our success. …The UK faces a global economic challenge. Its future prosperity depends on the skills and ability of its people. The key to success is learning. Only by learning throughout life can individuals maintain their employability, and organizations their competitive advantage.”

Confederation of British Industry (1998) The Skill Revolution for a Learning Nation


Examples from HK As regards language proficiency, there is no doubt in our mind that this is i

mportant on two levels. On the micro level, language proficiency is essential to the cognitive development of a child, as affect his or her ability to assimilate and interpret information. On the macro level, language proficiency is important to maintain Hong Kong leading position in the financial, commercial and industrial development of China and the Pacific rim. We believe that there is an urgent need to enhance the level of proficiency in both Chinese (including Putonghua) and English in Hong Kong. We are alive to the community concern that there should be an adequate supply of school leavers with language skills good enough to satisfy the demand arising from the recent expansion in tertiary education and the restructuring of the economy. The community in general, an employers in particular, feel that there is need to act quickly in order to maintain Hong Kong’s competitive edge over other Southern Asian centres as the hub of international trading and commercial activities and as a window on China. (EC Report No. 6, 1996, paragraph 2.2)

Operational Mechanism of Quasi-Market Education Reform

The concept of quasi-market

The concept signifies the process of restructuring the mechanism of social-policy provisions of the post-WWII welfare states. It aims to reform the public sectors, which have been characterized as "state-controlled", "bureaucrat/professional-dominated" or "providers-led", and to align them with the neo-liberals' free-market ideal. However, due to the structural inertia of the public sectors, especially in public schooling, the free-market ideal could not be fully materialized and as the result it could only constitute a quasi-market.


The demand-side of the quasi-market Enhancement of parental choice Privatization of public-school sector Amalgamation of private- and public-school

sectors Establishment of consumer sovereignty in school

management


The supply-side of the quasi-market Standardization of school process: Performance

indicators of schools Devolution and deregulation of school

administration Quality-assurance inspection and auditing


The medium of exchange of the quasi-market Performance-based accountability Standard test for all students Publicizing results of standardized tests in

the form of school ranking, School League Table, School Report Card

Failing schools are required to improve within a designated period or facing the prospect of shut down

EDD5213

Education Policy & Practice in HK

Understanding the Nature of Education Reform:The Dialectics of Lifelong Learning

(ii)

Lifelong Learning for

Social Inclusion &

Political Empowerment

The Underlying Principle of Lifelong Learning for Inclusion and empowerment

Lifelong learning for social inclusion: The primary objective of lifelong learning is to constitute social inclusion and to provide all citizens with continuous and equal opportunities for education. Authentic learning opportunity for all: Lifelong learning

experiences are provided in such open, diversified, and flexible fashions that all citizens can make authentic use of them to suite their various needs and capacities.

Substantively equal learning opportunity for all: No citizens will be deprived of their substantive lifelong learning opportunities by their culturally and socially disadvantageous situations and be provided with positively discriminative learning opportunities.


Lifelong learning for social inclusion: (cont’d) Authentic learning opportunity for all: Lifelong learning exper

iences are provided in such open, diversified, and flexible fashions that all citizens can make authentic use of them to suite their various needs and capacities.

Substantively equal learning opportunity for all: No citizens will be deprived of their substantive lifelong learning opportunities by their culturally and socially disadvantageous situations and be provided with positively discriminative learning opportunities.

Scholars have characterizes such lifelong learning model as the open learning networks (Edwards, 1995) In this model, lifelong learning is a project striving for “the equalitarian, democratic ideal of expanding educational institutions and opening them to everyone” (Alheit, 2002, p. 31).


Lifelong learning for political empowerment: The fundamental objective of lifelong learning is in this regard is to nurture and build up of active citizenship. Accordingly lifelong learning is defined as continuous learning project of empowerment, through which citizens will equip themselves with relevant knowledge, skills, orientations and courage and efficaciously participate in democratic deliberations on political and public affairs.


Lifelong learning for political empowerment: (cont’d) Young’s educative model of learning society: In educative

model of learning society, lifelong learning will take the form of “expansive learning, in which the learner questions and begins to transform the context of ‘community of practice’ where the learning begins.” (Young, 1998, p.203)


Lifelong learning for political empowerment: (cont’d) Kenway (2002) defines, lifelong learning as learning for eman

cipatory and life politics. By emancipatory politics, it refers to political actions striving fo

r liberating individuals and group from exploitation, inequality, oppression, and marginalization and exclusion. (Kenway, 2002, p. 165)

As for life politics, it “is concerned with how we are able to understand our existence and how we are to live in the post-traditional, globally interdependent order. It recognizes that what was once fixed by nature and tradition is now subject to decision. …A certain autonomy of action and of capacities to choose are the ingredients of life politics” (p. 187-68) an lifelong learning.

The Operational Mechanism of Lifelong Learning for Inclusion and Empowerment

Brown and Lauder’s conception of collective intelligence model Collective intelligence: “Collective intelligence can be defined

as empowerment through the development and pooling of intelligence to attain common goals or resolve common problems. It is inspired by a spirit of co-operation rather a Darwinian survival of the fittest. …It involves making a virtue of our mutual dependence and sociability which we will need to make a dominant feature of post-industrial society based on information, knowledge and lifelong learning.” (Brown & Lauder, 2001, p. 218-19)


Brown and Lauder’s collective intelligence model (cont’d) Two constituents of collective intelligence model

The capacity for intelligence: “The capacity for intelligence describes the raw materials on which the development of intelligence depends. It refers to the state of knowledge, scientific discovery, technology and learning techniques, on which societies can draw. It includes the knowledge and technological resources amassed in society in the form of books, journals, databases, computers and laboratories, and super-highways to name but a few.” (Brown & Lauder, 2001, p. 219)

Relations of trust: “Trust is used …to refer to whether the development and pooling of intelligence is reflected in the relationship between individuals, groups, and social classes that are embedded in classrooms, offices, shopfloors, household, neighborhoods, welfare policies and taxation system.” (Brown & Lauder, 2001, p.220)


Brown and Lauder’s collective intelligence model (cont’d) Education policy measures for lifelong learning for collective

intelligence Re-defining criteria for educational achievement

• Moving away from methodological individualism of I.Q. test as sole measure of intelligence

• Conceptualization of educational achievement with reference to multiple intelligences

• Conceptualization of educational achievement with reference to collective intelligence

Re-designing curriculum and evaluation with reference to the conception of multiple intelligences and collective intelligence

Re-structuring for multi-cultural education system• Replacing suppressive-common school system with inclusive-common

school system• Replacing segregating and stratifying school system with comprehensive

school system• Education for knowledge as well as identity



intelligence (cont’d) Restructuring for “attested mobility” educational selection system

• Replacing both “sponsored mobility” and “contest mobility” educational selection systems

• Replacing with “attested mobility” educational selection system

”The challenge in a pluralist system of education is to juggle the need to pay attention to the particularity of cultural identity and yet create rules of competition which are fair for all groups. The need for fairness across groups is necessary because at the end of the day educational credentials will still be a prime determinant of career opportunities. For this reason we believe a new concept, that of attested mobility should be introduced into the discussion. To attest is to affirm or bear witness. In this context it draws attention to the link between a person’s cultural identity and educational performance.” (Brown & Lauder, 2001, p. 247)

• Replacing principle of praise with principle of respect



intelligence (cont’d) Restructuring for education system of equality of opportunity

• Means-regarding equality of opportunity– Equality of access to education– Equality of education process

• Prospect-regarding equality of opportunity– Equality of education result– Equality of education outcome

Restructuring higher education for lifelong learning for collective intelligence

• Replacing upward spiral and stratification in higher education• Restructuring an open, inclusive, accommodating, flexible and

affordable higher educational system


Ranson and Stewart’s conception of Learning Democracy Model The political issue dismantling of the “public domain”: Ranson

and Stewart underline that

“The predicaments of our time are public (collective) problems and require public solutions, yet the public institutions required to support the resolutions have all but eroded; our society has developed institutions that are not constituted for an active public domain. The characteristics of structural change in society (fragmentation, privatism, and sectionism) and the qualities of the neo-liberal polity (competitive individualism) mutually reinforce the erosion of public life and thus the conditions for personal development as well as collective well-being.” (1998, p. 257-58)


Ranson and Stewart’s conception of Learning Democracy Model (cont’d) The solution:

“If the task for the time is to re-create a public domain that can support society through an historic transition, then the challenge will be to help citizens to learn two indispensable capacities: the capacity for co-operative action and the capacity for action, for agency.” (Ranson and Stewart, 1998, p. 258)


Ranson and Stewart’s conception of Learning Democracy Model (cont’d) Building the two capacities

Capacity for co-operative action: it indicates that in post-traditional and risk society (Beck, 1992; Giddens, 1994), citizens of any nationality must learn to live and act co-operatively at both intra-national and international levels. Nussbaum underlined, “if we are so much as to survive as a species … we clearly need to think about well-being and justice internationally, and together.” (Nussbaum, 1990, quoted in Ranson and Steward, 1998, p. 258)

Capacity for action and agency: In contrast to the passive citizenship nurtured by post-World War II welfare state and that of consumer-oriented citizenship constituted by neo-liberal state in the 1980s, citizen are expect to learn develop the feeling, imagination, empathy, and practical and social skills to carry out agencies (i.e. actions and projects) of their own choosing in public domain.

Topic 3 & 4Understanding the Nature of Education Reform:

The Dialectics of Lifelong Learning

The End

edd 5213 education policy & practice in hk understanding the nature of education reform of...

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