Quality education: Chief Executive Donald Tsang visits Holy Family Canossian School in Kowloon Tong to see students learning in the new culture.

Chief Executive Donald Tsang says Hong Kong people should be confident in the education reforms underway, adding the Government will continue to invest heavily in education to nurture talent for the knowledge-based society.

Visiting Holy Family Canossian School and Kowloon Tong Education Services Centre today, Mr Tsang said happy learning is what education is about.

"The students I have met today are all young but already have a solid foundation of biliteracy and trilingualism. They are good at communicating with others and eager to learn with the application of information technology and through project learning.

"From their motivation to learn, we can see the achievements of the new teaching and learning culture."

Noting human resources are almost the only resource of Hong Kong, Mr Tsang said the Government has placed special emphasis on education, with one dollar on education for every five dollars spent.

Students' performance recognised

"Based on local and international studies that have also recognised the continued outstanding performance of Hong Kong students, we should be confident in the education reforms underway," Mr Tsang said.

The Programme for International Student Assessment, organised by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation & Development, has ranked Hong Kong - one of more than 40 participating countries and regions - first in mathematics, second in problem solving, third in science and in the top 10 in reading.

In worldwide academic and artistic competitions, Hong Kong students won 32 awards in 2005, up nearly 40% from 23 awards in 2004.

"Quality education hinges on a high quality teaching force. The professionalism of Hong Kong teachers has been on the rise. Teachers' enthusiasm for professional development deserves our praise," he said.

Measures to support teachers

The Government has attached great importance to support for teachers. By increasing the provision of the Capacity Enhancement Grant in the current school year, the Education & Manpower Bureau will create additional permanent teaching posts for better care for Band Three students of secondary schools and the full implementation of the Primary School Curriculum Leader and Teaching by Subject Specialists Schemes.

The improvement to the student guidance personnel-to-class ratio will also enable teachers to concentrate on teaching.