1. Reforming Secondary Education Challenges to Paradigms Kai-ming Cheng Chair Professor of Education & Senior Advisor to the Vice-Chancellor University of Hong Kong Seminar on “Growth Strategies for Secondary Education in Asia” World Bank Malaysia, September 19, 2005

2. The literature: the missing part  Basic Education  Secondary Education  Vocational Education  Higher Education

3. Secondary education: Why now? The Contexts  Society: new workplace  Education: new developments  Learning: new understanding

4.  Change in society & workplace

5. Industrial Society: the Pyramid

6. The Organisational Structure

7. The Manpower Structure

8. The Knowledge Structure

9. Assumptions …  Large organizations  Parallel departments  Layers and ranks  Detailed division of labour  Tight structures  Rules and regulations  Credential-based recruitment  ……..

10. Assumptions …  Lifelong career  Long-term employment  Presumed loyalty  Upward mobility  Escalating incomes  Foreseeable future  Retirement aspirations  ……..

11. People in Workplace: Industrial  People for specific jobs  People are specialised  People are ranked  People implement pre-set designs  People follow prescribed procedures  People abide by rules and regulations  People recruited by qualifications  ……

12. Post-industrial: SMEs

13. Project Groups Task Forces Production Teams Client Groups “Accounts” Deal Team Post-industrial: Large Organisations

14. Task Force

15. Post-industrial: Free-lancers

16. Project Groups/Task Forces Small Enterprises Free-lancers The Civil Service Post-industrial: Workplace

17.  Small organisation  Flat organisations  Loose organisations  Constant teamwork  Ill-defined labour division  Blurred specilization  ….. Post-industrial: Workplace

18.  Many free-lancers  Many unemployed  Frequent change of jobs  Frequent change of careers  Ever-changing networks  Frequent change of partners  …….. Post-industrial: Individuals

19.  Communication  Learning on-demand, just-in-time  Team-work  Personal responsibilities  Solving problems  Integrating expertise  Self-disciplined & Self-management  Capacity to query, challenge, innovate  ……. Post-industrial: Expectations

20. Workplace & Society  Then Large & PyramidalLarge & Pyramidal Procedures, rules & regulationsProcedures, rules & regulations Lifelong careersLifelong careers Lifelong qualificationsLifelong qualifications  Now Small & flat Communications & relations Multiple careers On-demand, just- in-time learning

21. Implications for education  Drastic decrease of manual workers  Expanded need for higher education  Challenge to occupational identity  Intensified human interactions  Demand for more flexible learning modes and paths

22. Development of Education System

25. Secondary Education:  Then For the selectedFor the selected Leading to certificationLeading to certification UrbanUrban  Now For the majority Facing lifelong learning Spreading to rural

26. Change in nature  Then Preparation for the next stagePreparation for the next stage  Higher education  Jobs  Now Preparation for life

27.  Challenges to Paradigms

28.  Paradigm of “Screening”

29. “Screening” Chellenges  Rapid expansion of higher education  Unemployment among less-educated  Middle-age unemployment

30. Net entry rate into tertiary education (Type A) for selected countries, 2000 Starting 1999  Europe: + 25%  China: +100%  Taiwan: oversupply  Korea: oversupply  Japan: near oversupply  Hong Kong: 66%  Singapore: 75%

31. The question: If every child should be given the opportunity to learn more, what is the point of screening at secondary level?

32. Challenges to “Screening” Challenge to paradigms  Belief in innate ability “There are smart kids and dumb kids”“There are smart kids and dumb kids”  Belief in using knowledge for screening versus lifelong & multi-source learningversus lifelong & multi-source learning  Belief in using single indicators (IQ) versus multiple intelligenceversus multiple intelligence

33.  Paradigm of “Specialisation”

34. “Specialisation” Challenges  Division of labour blurred  Frequent change of jobs & occupations  Job-study mismatch  Demand for generic competence  Diluted & delayed specialisation in higher education  ……

35. Specialization in HE: Evolution Common Core Generic Capacity Building

36. Specialization: Evolution in HE Common Core Generic Capacity Building  Engineering: Washington Accord (30%)  Business Schools (50%)  Journalism schools (70%)  Europe: Bologna Process (3 + 2 + 2)  UK: Foundations Degree (2 + 3 + 3)  China: Fudan, Xian Jiaoda

37. Specialization: Bologna

38. The question: If higher education has delayed specialisation, what is the point of specialisation at secondary level?

39. “Specialisation” Challenges to Paradigms  Belief that education is for classifying people  Belief in people’s occupational identity  Belief that education is more specialised at higher levels  ……

40.  Paradigm of “teaching”

41. “Teaching” Challenges  Students also learn what are not taught  Students also learn from alternative sources  Technology has made acquisition of knowledge much easier

42. The question: If teacher is no longer the only source of knowledge, what is the new role for teachers?

43. “Teaching” Challenges to paradigms  Belief that learning is transmission of knowledge from those who know to those who don’t know  Belief that learning is about the known and not the unknown

44.  Paradigm of “Study”

45. “Study” Challenges  The expectation for good characters and personalities  The demand for human relational and social competence  The renewed importance for values, attitudes, emotions, ethics, principles, …  ………..

46. The question If society expects graduates to engage in more intensive human relations, why is such not formally reflected in designed school-lives?

47. “Study” Challenges to Paradigms  Belief in academic study as proxy for learning  Belief in classroom learning as the only reliable learning  Belief in examination scores as the only trustworthy measure of human capacity  …..

48.  Paradigm of “Schooling”

49. “Schooling” Challenges  Call for flexible curriculum  Learning is recognised beyond institutions Credit-unit Bank in KoreaCredit-unit Bank in Korea Lifelong Learning Passport in TaiwanLifelong Learning Passport in Taiwan  Administrative considerations have taken over learning needs

50. The question If all organisations are becoming smaller and more flexible, are schools also prepared to explore alternative ways of organisation?

51. “Schooling” Challenges to Paradigms  Belief that learning takes place only in schools  Belief that learning takes place only during structured activities Classes, time-tables, subjects, specialised teachers, set menu curriculum,Classes, time-tables, subjects, specialised teachers, set menu curriculum,  Belief that learning should be under the control of schools and institutions

52. After all … Industrial  analytic,  analytic, regulated, structured, clear-cut, uniform, convergent, normative, neat, assertive and reducible to parameters Post-industrial  holistic,  holistic, flexible, loose, fuzzy, plural, divergent, liberal, complex, speculative and tolerant of multiplex concepts

53.  Reforms in Secondary Education a scan

54. Reform trends  Blurring subject boundaries  Creating diverse learning activities  Introducing “moral” elements  Reforming examinations  Alternative ways of organsing school learning …………

55. Blurring subject boundaries Classrooms Beyond Classrooms Beyond Campus Cyber- Space Key-Learning Areas (Hong Kong) Co-curriculum/After School Education Reduction of formal curriculum  Japan 30%  Singapore 33% Rise of International Baccalaureate

56. Diverse Learning Experiences Classes Study Student Organisations, residence Executives of Organisations Internship, Placement, Mentorship Design, Music, Drama, Sports Community Services/NGO Visits to Rural, Deprived Communities International Exchange

57. Diverse Learning Experiences Classes Academic Knowledge Alternative Learning Leadership Learning Workplace Learning Creativity Learning Learning to Serve Learning to Care Learning across Cultures

58. Classes Academic Knowledge Alternative Learning Leadership Learning Workplace Learning Creativity Learning Learning to Serve Learning to Care Learning across Cultures  Tacit Knowledge  Social Competence  Values Education  Civic Education  Character Education  Personality Education  Moral Education

59. Classes Academic Learning Learning to live together Leadership Learning Workplace Learning Creativity Learning Learning to serve Learning to care Learning cross cultures Classrooms, Libraries, Laboratories Student Residence, Student Unions, Associations & Clubs, Young Leaders Music, Sports, Art, Drama, Dance Exchange, Youth Conferences Rural Visits, NGOs, Community Services, Church Internship, Practicum, Placement, Fieldwork Mentorship

60. Reforming Examinations Student Portfolios

61. Alternative organisations  Conventional Classes  Learning Communities

62. School M A S Teachers

65. After all … We are facing Diversity, Uncertainty, Change, … Plus Learning anywhere, anytime

66.  Knowledge acquisition  Personal development ? ?

67. Thank you Contact: kmcheng@hku.hk