Briefing Session on

Scenario on

Curriculum Planning at School Level

Curriculum Development Institute February 2021

Briefing Session on

Optimising the Senior Secondary

Core Subjects

School Background

 District: Tai Po

 Student gender: Co-ed

 Majority of S1 student intake: Band 2

 Medium of instruction: CMI

 Class structure: 4-5-4-4-4-4

 Total no. of teachers in the establishment: 58.8

 5-day cycle with 55 minutes per lesson

 A total of 31 lessons (i.e. 28.4 hours) per cycle

 Majority of students taking 2X

 No. of elective subjects offered: 13

7 teachers teaching SS Liberal Studies

Current Timetable of

Class 4B in the 2020/21 s.y.

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri

8:20-8:45 Class Affairs Class Affairs Class Affairs Class Affairs

(8:20-8:25) Class Affairs (8:20-8:25)

1 MATH LS CHIN MATH ENG

2 CHIN ENG ENG ENG MATH

3 X1 MATH X1 X2 LS

4 X2 ENG LS CHIN X1

5 LS X2 PE

Religious Education /

M2

CHIN

6 ENG CHIN PE X1 X2

7 / / / (OLE) Assembly

Note:

(i) OLE is arranged in S4 and S5 after school only. 12-14 OLE sessions are arranged in an academic year.

(ii) Students taking M2 cannot attend Religious Education in S4 nor Arts Enhancement in S5.

Current Timetabling Arrangements

Subject No of lessons/cycle %

Chinese Language ^{5-5-5 16.1}

English Language ^{6-6-6 19.4}

Mathematics ^{4-5-5 15}

Liberal Studies 4-4-4 12.9

X1 ^{4-4-4 12.9}

X2 4-4-4 12.9

OLE

(including PE and Arts Enhancement)

3-3-3 9.7

Religious Education ^{1-0-0 1.1}

Note:

ApL are delivered after school or on Saturdays.

Issues of Concern Identified

 Too much lesson time allocated to the 4 core subjects (63.4%)

 ApL courses are delivered after school or on Saturdays

 Students taking M2 cannot attend

Religious Education lessons in S4 nor

Arts Enhancement classes in S5

Adapted Timetable of Class 4B for the 2021/22 s.y.

(through optimising the 4 core subjects)

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri

8:20-8:35 Class Affairs Class Affairs Class Affairs Class Affairs Class Affairs

1 MATH ENG CHIN MATH ENG

2 CHIN Citizenship

and Social

Development ENG ENG MATH

3 Citizenship and Social Development

X3/ ApL/ M2/

Self-learning X1 X3/ ApL/ M2/

Self-learning CHIN

4 X2 X3/ ApL/ M2/

Self-learning X2 X3/ ApL/ M2/

Self-learning

Religious Education

5 X1 MATH PE X2 X1

6 ENG CHIN PE X1 X2

7 / / / (OLE) Assembly

Adapted Timetable of Class 5B for the 2022/23 s.y.

(through optimising the 4 core subjects)

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri

8:20-8:35 Class Affairs Class Affairs Class Affairs Class Affairs Class Affairs

1 MATH ENG CHIN MATH ENG

2 CHIN Citizenship

and Social

Development ENG ENG MATH

3 Citizenship and Social Development

X3/ ApL/ M2/

Self-learning X1 X3/ ApL/ M2/

Self-learning X1

4 X2 X3/ ApL/ M2/

Self-learning

MATH X3/ ApL/ M2/

Self-learning

AE

5 X1 X2 X2 CHIN CHIN

6 ENG CHIN PE X1 X2

7 / / / (OLE) Assembly

Adapted Timetable of Class 6B for the 2023/24 s.y.

(through optimising the 4 core subjects)

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri

8:20-8:35 Class Affairs Class Affairs Class Affairs Class Affairs Class Affairs

1 MATH ENG CHIN MATH ENG

2 CHIN MATH ENG ENG MATH

3 Citizenship and Social Development

X3/ ApL/ M2/

Self-learning MATH X3/ ApL/ M2/

Self-learning CHIN

4 X2 X3/ ApL/ M2/

Self-learning

Citizenship and Social Development

X3/ ApL/ M2/

Self-learning

X1

5 X1 X2 PE X2 X1

6 ENG CHIN PE X1 X2

7 / / / (OLE) Assembly

Adapted Timetabling Arrangements (through optimising the 4 core subjects)

Subject No of lessons/cycle %

Chinese Language

4-5-4 14%

English Language

5-5-5 16.1%

Mathematics

(Compulsory Part)

4-4-5 14%

Citizenship and Social Development

2-2-2 6.4%

X1

4-4-4 12.9%

X2

4-4-4 12.9%

X3 / ApL / M2 / Self-learning

4-4-4 12.9%

OLE

(including PE and Arts Enhancement)

3-3-3 9.7%

Religious Education

1-0-0 1.1%

Note:

(i) M2 and ApL are arranged within regular timetable.

(ii) Students NOT taking M2 would attend language enhancement classes or conduct self-learning.

Comparison of current and adapted timetabling arrangements for S4-S6 Curriculum

Subject Current Adapted

Chinese Language 5-5-5 16.1% 4-5-4 14%

English Language 6-6-6 19.4% 5-5-5 16.1%

Mathematics

(Compulsory Part) 4-5-5 15% 4-4-5 14%

LS / Citizenship and Social

Development

4-4-4 12.9% 2-2-2 6.4%

2 Electives 8-8-8 25.8% 8-8-8 25.8%

X3 / ApL / M2 /

Self-learning * NA 4-4-4 12.9%

OLE (including PE &AE) 3-3-3 9.7% 3-3-3 9.7%

Religious Education 1-0-0 1.1% 1-0-0 1.1%

Total No. of periods

per cycle 93 100% 93 100%

Note:

* ApL courses are delivered after school or on Saturdays.

Rationale for the Adaptations

 Some students can take 3X or 2X + 1 ApL

 ApL courses can be offered within the regular timetable (students taking X3 / ApL)

 After-school M2 lessons can be arranged within the regular timetable (in parallel with X3 / ApL lessons)

 Self-learning can be provided in the timetabled periods to cater for students’

diverse learning needs

Manpower Planning

 Proposed manpower planning for the 7 teachers currently teaching SS LS

2 Teachers To teach Citizenship and Social Development

The other 5 teachers

To teach other subjects ( Chinese / History / Tourism and Hospitality Studies / Chinese History / Life and Society )

 Hence, the proposal for optimising Citizenship and Social Development in lieu of LS would not create redundant / surplus teacher.

 Teachers could teach core and elective subjects. There

would not be significant impact on the teaching loads of

teachers.