St. Margaret’s Co-educational English Secondary and Primary School 聖瑪加利男女英文中小學 New Senior Secondary Subject Selection 新高中選科 26 Feb 2011 (Sat)

A Comparison of the Current and the New Academic Structures New Structure (3+3+4) New public examination leading to HK Diploma of Secondary Education Current Structure ( ) 4-year Undergraduate Degree 3-year Undergraduate Degree Secondary 7 HKALE HKCEE Secondary 6 Secondary 5 Secondary 4 Secondary 3 Secondary 2 Secondary 1 Secondary 6 Secondary 5 Secondary 4 Secondary 3 Secondary 2 Secondary st cohort of graduates 2006/07 school year 2012 New Senior Secondary

The New Senior Secondary Curriculum 4 Core Subjects: Chinese Language English Language Mathematics Liberal Studies Elective Subjects: 2 or 3 elective subjects chosen from NSS elective subjects, Applied Learning Courses and other language courses Other Learning Experiences Moral and Civic Education, Community Service, Aesthetic Development, Physical Development and Career-related Experiences 45-55% 20-30% 15-35% % of Time Allocation :

Suggested time allocation over the three years is as below: Other Learning Experiences Suggested minimum time allocation (in percentage) Suggested minimum time allocation (in hours) Moral and Civic Education 5%135 Community Service Career-related Experiences Aesthetic Development 5%135 Physical Development 5%135 Total: 405 hours Other Learning Experiences

Under the NSS education, students are encouraged to build up a profile to record and reflect on their learning experiences and achievements. The content may include brief information about: Under the NSS education, students are encouraged to build up a profile to record and reflect on their learning experiences and achievements. The content may include brief information about: 1.Academic performance in school; 2.Other Learning Experiences; 3. Awards / achievements gained outside schools Student Learning Profile Parents are welcome to browse the OLE website for more information. Student Learning Profile will be highly considered in some programmes e.g. Faculty of Communication (the Hong Kong Baptist University)

Key Learning AreasSubjects Chinese Language Education Chinese Language English Language Education  English Language Mathematics Education  Mathematics (compulsory part)  Module 1 or Module 2 (extended part)  Liberal Studies Four Core Subjects Students studying Mathematics may take (i)the Compulsory Part only; (ii)the Compulsory Part with Module 1 (Calculus ＆ Statistics) ; (iii)the Compulsory Part with Module 2 (Algebra ＆ Calculus) Replacement of Chinese Language by other languages for non-Chinese speaking students

Mathematics Extended Part Current Mathematics CurriculaNSS Mathematics Curriculum

Mathematics Extended Part Module 1 (Statistics and Calculus) related to disciplines or careers which demand a wider scope and deeper understanding of mathematics emphasize applications rather than mathematical rigour with a view to widening students’ perspectives on mathematics Module 2 (Algebra and Calculus) related to mathematics-related fields and careers emphasize understanding of mathematics for further progress in mathematically inclined disciplines The time allocation for one module is about half of that for an elective subject. The levels awarded to candidates in the Extended Part will be reported separately from the Compulsory Part.

University Entrance Requirements InstitutionFaculty / School / Discipline The University of Hong Kong Science, Engineering, Bioinformatics, Business Administration, Actuarial Science The Chinese University of Hong Kong Business Administration, Engineering, Science The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Applied Science, Construction & Land Use, Engineering, Health Studies The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Science, Engineering Mathematics Extended Part (Module 1 or 2) is preferred for some programmes.

Key Learning Areas Elective Subjects Subjects Taken in S.3 Personal, Social and Humanities Education Chinese History Yes Economics Yes Geography Yes History Yes Tourism and Hospitality Studies No Science Education BiologyYes ChemistryYes PhysicsYes Technology Education Business, Accounting and Financial Studies No Information and Communication Technology Yes NSS Subjects offered by the School

Business, Accounting & Financial Studies (BAFS)

Travel & Hospitality Studies (T & H)

Changes on Public Assessment Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination  One public exam - more time for learning  Assessments emphasise thinking skills and application of knowledge (e.g. analysis and problem-solving)  School-based Assessment is included  Standards-referenced Reporting

Standards-referenced Reporting  Standards-referenced levels 1 – 5  Use 5* and 5** to annotate the best performers among the level 5 candidates  A set of descriptors is used to indicate the typical performance of candidates at each of the 5 levels  Candidates’ results will only be compared with the prescribed standards, regardless of the performance of the other candidates taking the same examination

Promotion Requirements to S.4  All core subjects including Chinese/French, English, Mathematics and Liberal Studies must reach 50%.  The average mark of all subjects must reach 50%.  Students must have GOOD CONDUCT.

Subject Selection Criteria Besides taking four core subjects, there are four alternatives for students in S.4: 1. Taking 2 elective subjects; 2. Taking 2 elective subjects and Mathematics Module 1 or 2; 3. Taking 3 elective subjects; 4. Taking 3 elective subjects and Mathematics Module 1 or 2; *Students are recommended to choose TWO elective subjects only. Those who opt to take 3 elective subjects must meet the criteria set by the School

Subject Selection Criteria A.Students can study THREE elective subjects only if the average mark of all subjects reach 55% and with good results in all the corresponding subjects, if any. e.g. The corresponding subject for S.4 Economics is S.3 Economics B. Mathematics Module 1 or Module 2 are the extended parts of Mathematics and are NOT considered as elective subjects.

Subject Selection Criteria C. Two elective subjects will be allocated to all students first. D. Students will be ranked according to the assessment results of the chosen elective subjects. Priority will be given to those with better performance.

Timeline for Subject Selection StageEvent 31 March 2011 Complete “Subject Option Form for S.4” in blue ball pen 22 June 2011 Amend “Subject Option Form for S.4” in red ball pen 11 July 2011 Receive notification of the allocated elective subjects