Kerry J Kennedy Changing Schools for Changing Times Curriculum Lessons from Hong Kong for SEAMEO Basic Education Standards SEAMEO BASIC EDUCATION STANDARDS (SEA-BES) SERIES OF WORKSHOPS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF COMMON CORE REGIONAL STANDARDS IN SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS SEAMEO RECSAM, Penang, May 2015

Outline “Reform, reform reform”: new curriculum for the “Asian century” Hong Kong’s curriculum reform efforts: a new curriculum for new times Lessons from Hong Kong’s reforms – content, coherence, consistency & coordination Standards and the curriculum – what can be learnt from Hong Kong?

“Reform, reform reform”: new curriculum for the “Asian century” SEAMEO BASIC EDUCATION STANDARDS (SEA-BES) REPRESENT THE FIRST ATTEMPT AT REGION - WIDE EDUCATION REFORM

CountryPolicyYearEmphasis ChinaCurriculum Reform of Basic Education2001Focus on students’ learning interests and experience; include knowledge and skills which are necessary for lifelong learning. Hong Kong SARLearning for life – learning through life2000To build a lifelong learning society. Learning to learn: The Way Forward in Curriculum Development 2000 Help students to build up their capabilities to learn independently. IndonesiaCompetency Based Curriculum2002To develop a process-oriented way of teaching multicultural attitudes and behavior such as tolerance, mutual- respect, mutual understanding, and recognition of religious, ethnic, and cultural diversities and differences. JapanThe Education Reform Plan for the 21st Century 2001Establish an educational philosophy suitable for the new century and improve the provision for education. KoreaAdapting Education to thee Information Age 2001It is a reform of the educational system for the new society through ICT. MalaysiaSmart School Curriculum1999To foster the knowledge, skills, and attitudes appropriate for success in the Information Age. Table 1 The Scope of Education Reform in the Asia Pacific Region, 1997–2002

LEARNING Personal Growth & Development Social Development ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Figure 1: The Value of Learning in the “Asian century” This view recognizes the value of learning not only in personal terms for the individual and the social benefits that come from learning but primarily in terms of the potential of learning’s return to the economy. This “new learning” Underpins recent curriculum reforms and is an important foundational element in SEA-BES

Hong Kong’s curriculum reform efforts: a new curriculum for new times Hong Kong’s pre-1997 curriculum could be defined as: Traditional; Elitist; Competitive; Exam- dominated; and Bureaucratic

Curriculum Development Council, 2001, p.22 Hong Kong Curriculum: C20th Traditional; Elitist; Competitive; Exam- dominated; and Bureaucratic

Curriculum Development Council, 2001, p.22 Hong Kong’s Reform Framework

Purpose of Hong Kong’s C21 st Curriculum (Education Commission (2000, p.5) to build a life-long learning society; to raise the overall quality of students; to construct a diverse education system; to create an inspiring learning environment; to acknowledge the importance of moral education; and to develop and education system that is rich in tradition but is cosmopolitan and culturally diverse

Lessons from Hong Kong’s reforms – content, coherence, consistency & coordination CONTENT: BOTH TRADITIONAL & INNOVATIVE COHERENCE: KEY LEARNING AREAS REPLACED SUBJECTS AS THE KEY CURRICULUM ORGANIZERS CONSISTENCY: A COMMON PHILOSOPHY PROVIDED THE FOUNDATION FOR ALL KLAs AND FOR LEARNING IN GENERAL. COORDINATION: THE REFORM WAS SUPPORTED BY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES AND LIASIONS WITH TEACHER EDUCATION PROVIDERS AS WELLA S WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS

Standards and the curriculum – what can be learnt from Hong Kong? “Standards” not mentioned in the Hong Kong reforms Yet content is clearly and explicitly sequenced from P-12 Content standards were designed to encourage the highest achievement of every student, by defining the knowledge, concepts, and skills that students should acquire at each grade level. (California State Board of Education)

Source: Basic Education Curriculum Guide, Booklet 1, p.8 Curriculum standards include subject knowledge/concepts, skills (specific and generic) and attitudes/values Content standards were designed to encourage the highest achievement of every student, by defining the knowledge, concepts, and skills that students should acquire at each grade level. (California State Board of Education)

Standards…by another name….

Standards by any other name…. SEAMEO BASIC EDUCATION STANDARDS (SEA-BES) REPRESENT THE FIRST ATTEMPT AT REGION - WIDE EDUCATION REFORM Learning outcomes, Learning objectives, Learning targets, Content standards the terms are used interchangeably across the region

The challenge…. Can we look across Science and Mathematics curriculum in SEAMEO countries and: identify a set of common curriculum standards ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????? BUT WHY????? and FOR WHOM?

WHY? Equity across SEAMEO countries; Quality education for all SEAMEO students; Efficient use of SEAMEO resources; Effective learning for all SEAMEO students’ Mobility for SEAMEO students THINK REGIONALLY

FOR WHOM? Common Core Regional Standards will NOT replace member country curriculum guidelines/frameworks /syllabuses etc. Common Core Regional Standards WILL provide benchmarks for curriculum development in SEAMEO member countries. Common Core Regional Standards WILL be of most interest to Ministries of Education and curriculum development agencies or in systems where school based curriculum development is encouraged.

Content standards were designed to encourage the highest achievement of every student, by defining the knowledge, concepts, and skills that students should acquire at each grade level. (California State Board of Education)