Certification Course for Kindergarten Principals Course Framework
1. Aims
The Certification Course for Kindergarten Principals aims at:
(a) Developing and equipping participants with the leadership skills essential for taking up the principalship in a kindergarten; and
(b) Strengthening the knowledge, skills and attitudes of serving principals.
2. Entry Requirements
(a) Aspiring kindergarten principals with Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood Education) (BEd(ECE)) degree (or equivalent) or Post-graduate Diploma in Education (Early Childhood Education) (PGDE(ECE)) and at least three years’ teaching experience in kindergarten(s), or (b) Serving kindergarten principals.
3. Expected Outcomes
After completing the course, the participants should be able to:
Develop mission and vision on his/her leadership role and continuous professional development, with a view to keeping abreast of the knowledge, skills and disposition on working towards quality ECE as well as a global perspective in the ever-changing era.
Understand the roles and functions of a kindergarten principal and the essential principles of management and supervision with awareness of relevant ordinances and regulations in planning, organising, supervising, monitoring and evaluating kindergarten operation.
Work out strategies for building a shared vision with stakeholders including the kindergarten sponsoring body, managers, teachers, and parents.
Devise appropriate strategies to execute effective resource management, and promote quality ECE and the school’s sustainable development, accountability and self-evaluation.
Make appropriate planning and evaluation for professional development and appraisal of teachers.
Uphold professional conduct of teachers.
Evaluate and enhance the effectiveness of planned and implemented curricula in facilitating student learning.
Take the lead in cultivating a positive and safe learning environment in school through support for students with diverse needs.
Understand the importance of community resources and build connections between school and the community.
Build effective home-school cooperation mechanism to enhance parents’ understanding of their children’s development and involvement in school activities.
4. Course Design and Organisation
4.1 The course will last for not less than 120 contact hours. It can be conducted through the following modes of learning:
(a) Entirely face-to-face learning;
(b) Mixed learning mode comprising face-to-face learning and e-learning with e-learning accounting for no more than 30 hours under normal teaching arrangement; or
(c) Intensive programme in the summer holiday.
4.2 To help participants apply the learning points in a real-life situation, on top of the 120 contact hours mentioned in paragraph 4.1 above, the course should include an additional post-course reflective project of at least 30 hours with themes on principals’ roles based on real school situation such as conducting an action research project, drawing up a holistic plan on teachers’ professional development and addressing school-based concerns, and writing a proposal on promoting the school’s sustainable development in light of the challenges ahead.
4.3 To enhance learning effectiveness, facilitate interaction and group dynamics, the maximum number of participants per class is 35.
5. Course Content
5.1 The course should complement the more academic requirements of BEd(ECE) programmes by placing focus on practical aspects of principalship and the operational aspects of quality kindergarten education.
5.2 The course should focus on developing, equipping and strengthening leadership skills in all the following four domains of school work:
(a) Management and organisation (b) Learning and teaching
(c) School Culture and Support for Children (d) Child Development
5.3 It is preferable that the institution could offer one or two electives in each domain. Institutions could also offer integrative electives of different domains.
5.4 The course content should be updated and tally with the latest development. The course should cover all the following topics:
Domains of School Work
Topics (a) Management and
Organisation
Principals as leaders: self-understanding and
communication skills, leading innovation and change for school improvement
Principals as educators: professional ethics and disposition, leadership and management, articulating one’s education vision and philosophy
Promoting participation, transparency and accountability in school operation
Managing organisational change, staff appointment, performance management, professional growth and professional conduct
Strategic resources management (including financial and manpower planning) and related rules and regulations
Formulating strategies for school development and implementation of evidence-based school self- evaluation
Team building and trust building
Understanding EQ, AQ and stress management
Crisis management and handling of complaints
Understanding and managing the mechanism for reporting and handling suspected child maltreatment cases
Communicating with the media and general public as well as conflict management and mediation
Managing safety, health and nutrition for young children, including prevention and handling of communicable diseases in schools
Values to be upheld, including children’s right to education, equal education opportunity for all, child protection, child-centredness and children’s
uniqueness
Promoting National Security Education and a correct understanding amongst students of the country’s history and development, the importance of National Flag, National Emblem and National Anthem
Relevant ordinances and their implications in kindergarten operation, such as
Education Ordinance and Education Regulations
Employment Ordinance
Prevention of Bribery Ordinance
Domains of School Work
Topics
Legislation on equal opportunity, including Race Discrimination Ordinanceand Sex Discrimination Ordinance
Protection of Children and Juveniles Ordinance
Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance
Copyright Ordinance (b) Learning and
Teaching
The latest development of kindergarten education policies and practices in Hong Kong and global trends
The latest development of Hong Kong school curriculum, including the kindergarten education curriculum
Pedagogical leadership in school-based curriculum planning, implementation and evaluation in action
Connecting school-based curriculum with initiatives of catering for learning, social-emotional development, kindergarten-primary interface and other developmental needs (including special needs) of children
Connecting school-based curriculum with initiatives of catering for learner diversity and promoting children’s moral, cognitive and language, physical, affective and social as well as aesthetic development
Lesson observations and effective classroom practices
Reporting students’ learning behaviour and performance (c) School
Culture and Support for Children
Encouraging parental involvement
Promoting school-based parent education
Developing tripartite collaboration between school, family and community
Fostering a caring and inclusive school culture including cultural and religious sensitivity in handling non-Chinese speaking students (notably ethnic minority students) and catering for students with special needs
Appropriate support in students’ transition from home to kindergarten; and kindergarten to primary one
(d) Child
Development
Formulating strategies for students’ whole person and balanced development
Collecting data about child development and evaluating students’ learning performance and effectiveness of curriculum
Providing support to cater for learner diversity (including students with special needs)
6. Quality Assurance
6.1 Representatives of the Education Bureau should be allowed to attend the lessons for feedback purpose when necessary.
6.2 The institution should build a quality assurance mechanism stating the passing requirements of participants. The institution would be required to provide summaries of evaluation forms completed by the participants at the end of the Course.
6.3 The Institution should build an external quality assurance mechanism to ensure the quality and effectiveness of course delivery and assessment.
7. Review for refinement
This course framework is subject to review for refinement as and when necessary.
(Updated as at 2021/22)
