Education Bureau Circular Memorandum No. 90/2022
From: Secretary for Education To: Heads of all Primary and Secondary Schools (excluding ESF and International Schools) Date: 6 July 2022
_________________________________________________________________________
Territory-wide System Assessment of
Chinese Language, English Language and Mathematics at Primary 3 (P3), Primary 6 (P6) and Secondary 3 (S3) in 2022/23
(Note: This circular memorandum should be read by Heads of all primary and secondary schools, excluding ESF and International Schools, for necessary action.)
Purpose
The purpose of this circular memorandum is to inform schools of the arrangements of the Territory-wide System Assessment (TSA) of Chinese Language, English Language and Mathematics at P3, P6 and S3 for the 2022/23 school year.
Background
2. Based on the document “Reform Proposals for the Education System in Hong Kong” released by the Education Commission in 2000, TSA aims to help schools and the Government gauge students’ attainment of Basic Competencies in Chinese Language, English Language and Mathematics at end of different key learning stages, so as to provide feedback for the planning of school-based learning and teaching and for reviewing education policies with the information obtained.
The Government has commissioned the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA) to administer TSA. TSA has been implemented at P3, P6 and S3 since 2004, 2005 and 2006 respectively. TSA is a low-stake assessment that does not assess students’ individual results. TSA does not report on individual students’
results and does not determine their advancement in studies. It is also by no means a
basis for allocating school places for admission to Secondary 1. Schools may browse the following website for information about the Basic Competency Assessment:
http://cd1.edb.hkedcity.net/cd/eap_web/bca/index3.htm.
3. Since the implementation of TSA, the Education Bureau (EDB) has maintained communication with various stakeholders to learn about its implementation. Among others, in response to the public’s concerns about TSA, the then Secretary for Education announced in October 2015 that the Coordinating Committee on Basic Competency Assessment and Assessment Literacy (the Committee) would conduct a comprehensive review of Basic Competency Assessment. The Committee collected and summed up the views of different stakeholders and experience from schools through various channels and submitted the Report on Review of the Primary 3 Territory-wide System Assessment 2015-20171 (Review Report) to the EDB in March 2018.
4. The EDB accepted the Review Report submitted by the Committee, and announced that the feedback for P3 TSA at the territory-wide and school levels would be handled separately in 2018 and onwards. At the territory-wide level, TSA will be conducted every year on a sampling basis, with around 10% of P3 students sampled from each public sector and Direct Subsidy Scheme school. At the school level, schools which would like to arrange all their P3 students to participate in TSA and to obtain detailed school reports may approach the HKEAA direct. The HKEAA will issue school reports to the schools directly. The EDB will not obtain school reports of individual schools from the HKEAA. Details are set out in EDB Circular Memorandum No. 37/2018.
1 R e p o r t o n R e v i e w o f t h e P r i m a r y 3 T e r r i t o r y - w i d e S y s t e m A s s e s s m e n t 2 0 1 5 - 2 0 1 7 ( M a r c h 2 0 1 8 )
h t t p : / / w w w . e d b . g o v . h k / a t t a c h m e n t / e n / c u r r i c u l u m - d e v e l o p m e n t / a s s e s s m e n t / a b o u t - a s s e s s m e n t / 2 0 1 5 - 1 7 - t s a - r e p o r t - e n . p d f
TSA in 2022/23 School Year Primary 3
5. The Chinese audio-visual (CAV) assessment and speaking assessments for Chinese Language and English Language at P3 will be conducted on a sampling basis on 2 May 2023 (Tuesday) or 3 May 2023 (Wednesday) (with 5 May 2022 (Friday) as the fallback date). The HKEAA will inform each school nearer the time on which of these two days the speaking assessments will be conducted. Meanwhile, the assessment for Mathematics, and the written assessments for Chinese Language and English Language at P3 will be conducted similarly on a sampling basis on 7 June 2023 (Wednesday) and 8 June 2023 (Thursday) (with 12 June 2023 (Monday) as the fallback date). The HKEAA will later issue letters to inform schools of the details on arranging sampled or all P3 students to participate in TSA and also on the related school reports.
Primary 6
6. Since 2015, P6 TSA has been conducted in odd-numbered years. The CAV assessment and speaking assessments for Chinese Language and English Language at P6 will be conducted on a sampling basis on 9 May 2023 (Tuesday) or 10 May 2023 (Wednesday) (with 12 May 2022 (Friday) as the fallback date). The HKEAA will inform each school nearer the time on which of these two days the speaking assessments will be conducted. The assessment for Mathematics, and the written assessments for Chinese Language and English Language at P6 will be conducted on 7 June 2023 (Wednesday) and 8 June 2023 (Thursday) (with 12 June 2023 (Monday) as the fallback date).
Secondary 3
7. The speaking assessments for Chinese Language and English Language at S3 will be conducted on a sampling basis on 18 April 2023 (Tuesday) or 19 April 2023 (Wednesday) (with 28 April 2023 (Friday) as the fallback date). The HKEAA will inform each school nearer the time on which of these two days the speaking assessments will be conducted. The assessment for Mathematics, and the written assessments for Chinese Language and English Language at S3 will take two days.
Schools are requested to reserve 14 June 2023 (Wednesday) and 15 June 2023 (Thursday) (with 19 June 2023 (Monday) as the fallback date) for administering TSA.
8. The EDB and the HKEAA will take heed of the development of the epidemic and confirm the arrangement of TSA in the first quarter of 2023 subject to the actual situation and needs.
Participation of students
9. TSA is a low-stake assessment that provides not only objective data on territory-wide students’ Basic Competencies for the Government, but it also provides data for schools on their students’ overall performance in different learning dimensions so as to provide feedback on learning and teaching. Hence, schools are requested to arrange all students (including Non-Chinese Speaking (NCS) students and students with special educational needs (SEN)) to participate in P6 and S3 assessments; while all P3 students (including NCS and SEN students) will participate in the sampling arrangement at the territory-wide level, with a view to assisting the Government in collecting data for related research and review of education policies.
10. As in the past years, the HKEAA will provide schools participating in P6 or S3 TSA with detailed school reports. Schools which arrange all their P3 students to participate in TSA will also be provided with detailed school reports. Besides, if the above-mentioned schools engage five or more NCS and SEN students respectively in TSA, the HKEAA will also provide reports on the overall performance of the relevant student groups. In addition, the HKEAA also provides assessment support measures to accommodate NCS and SEN students in need, and will later advise schools of the details concerned.
Enquiries
11. For enquiries, please contact the following persons:
Enquiry on administration of TSA:
Dr Tenny LAM, Head of Education Assessment Services of the HKEAA at 3628 8100
Enquiry on general policy of TSA:
Ms Cassia YU, Assistant Secretary for Education at 3165 1197
Reminder
12. Schools are reminded to inform parents of the schedule for the assessment and the contingency arrangements during adverse weather (including the fallback dates) to facilitate the smooth implementation of TSA.
Ms Wendy AU
for Secretary for Education
cc: Heads of Sections – for information
