Gifted pupils could get academy this year
Proposal includes special training for teachers and assistance for parents
The government proposes establishing a special school for gifted children with the aim of educating thousands of students each year.
The Academy for Gifted Education would start in the 2007-08 academic year and teach 12,000 students aged from 10 to 18 by 2010, about 3,000 a year. Its curriculum would include workshops, weekend courses and exchange programmes not available in schools.
A paper by the Education and Manpower Bureau also proposes providing training for teachers in specialist areas to enhance their capability to nurture gifted students.
Training programmes may include structured courses, short thematic courses, seminars and talks. About 600 teachers would receive the training each year.
It also proposes a programme to equip parents with knowledge to identify and nurture gifted children.
'It's too early to say whether the goal [for students being trained] is too high or low. The most important thing is that there will be channels for gifted students to seek help,' education lawmaker Cheung Man-kwong said.
Mr Cheung said the government should ensure a mechanism was set up to help schools and parents locate gifted children. 'Schools and parents should be provided with good ways to identify talented children and ensure they are able to seek educational help that fits the children,' he said.
Gifted Education Council vice-chairman Michael Chan Ka-wai said: 'The proposed recruitment goal of talented students is quite good. It is a solid figure.
'The training of the teachers seems to be important. They should be provided with focused training in sets of well-organised courses, and the duration should be long enough.'
Mr Cheung said: 'The crucial area will lie in two areas: how the proposed academy sets up a curriculum that fits their endowed students; and their ability to recruit teachers with various specialties.'
Mr Cheung said the academy should not recruit its staff from the ranks of existing teachers.
'They are already overwhelmed with their workload from school. There are all kinds of talented people of every special area in the city. The bureau should go to them, that is a problem they have to tackle.'
The bureau is now seeking HK$100 million from the Legislative Council's Finance Committee to complement a donation of an equal amount by Sir Joseph Hotung.
Mr Cheung said the HK$200 million would not be enough to run the academy. 'It can only sustain the administrative expenditure. They will spend around HK$10 million to HK$20 million a year. I think they need to apply for funding from the Quality Education Fund.'
Mr Cheung said he would support the bureau's application.
The paper will be discussed at the education panel on Monday.
