Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Following is a question by the Hon Dennis Leung and a written reply by the Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, in the Legislative Council today (July 23):
Question:
The Technology Education Key Learning Area Curriculum was fully implemented at the junior secondary level in the 2016-2017 school year, with “Technology and Living” as one of the covered knowledge contexts. At the junior secondary level, many schools adopt a subject-based learning approach, implementing relevant learning element modules through subjects such as Home Economics. At the senior secondary level, Technology and Living is one of the elective subjects, in which students may choose to study learning strands related to “clothing” (i.e. “Fashion, Clothing and Textiles’) or “food” (i.e. “Food Science and Technology”). These strands serve as a foundation for students’ lifelong learning by providing a range of pathways for students with varying abilities and aptitudes, meeting their needs at different developmental stages and supporting the development of personal interests. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) of the following information regarding secondary schools in each of the 18 districts across the territory that have offered the subject of Home Economics at the junior secondary level (i.e. Secondary One to Three) over the past three school years: (i) the name, (ii) the financing mode (i.e. government, Direct Subsidy Scheme, private or subsidised) and (iii) the type (i.e. boys’ school, girls’ school, or co-educational school) of the school, (iv) the number of students enrolled in the subject each year (set out by gender), (v) whether the subject of Technology and Living (Fashion, Clothing and Textiles strand) was offered at the senior secondary level, (vi) whether the subject of Technology and Living (Food Science and Technology strand) was offered at the senior secondary level, and (vii) whether the school is equipped with Home Economics room facilities (set out in Table 1);
Table 1
| District | (i) | (ii) | (iii) | (iv) | (v) | (vi) | (vii) | |||||
| 2022-2023 school year |
2023-2024 school year |
2024-2025 school year |
||||||||||
| Male | Female | Male | Female | Male | Female | |||||||
(2) of the following information regarding secondary schools in each of the 18 districts across the territory that have offered the subject of Technology and Living (Fashion, Clothing and Textiles) and the subject of Technology and Living (Food Science and Technology) at the senior secondary level (i.e. Secondary Four to Secondary Six) over the past three school years: (i) the name, (ii) the financing mode and (iii) the type of the school as mentioned in (1), (iv) the number of students enrolled in these subjects each year (set out by gender) and (v) the number of students sitting for the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education in these subjects each year (set out by gender) (set out in Table 2);
Table 2
| District | (i) | (ii) | (iii) | (iv) | (v) | ||||||||||
| 2022-2023 school year |
2023-2024 school year |
2024-2025 school year |
2023 | 2024 | 2025 | ||||||||||
| Male | Female | Male | Female | Male | Female | Male | Female | Male | Female | Male | Female | ||||
| Subject of Technology and Living (Fashion, Clothing and Textiles) | |||||||||||||||
| Subject of Technology and Living (Food Science and Technology) | |||||||||||||||
(3) of the following information regarding teachers currently teaching the junior secondary Home Economics subject or the senior secondary Technology and Living curriculum across all secondary schools in Hong Kong: (i) the number of teachers, (ii) the median age, (iii) the minimum and (iv) the maximum age, (v) the number of teachers teaching only the junior secondary Home Economics subject, (vi) the number of teachers teaching only senior secondary Technology and Living subject, and (vii) the number of teachers teaching both subjects, with a breakdown by position (i.e. subject panel heads and subject teachers) (set out in Table 3); and
Table 3
| Position | (i) | …… | (vii) |
| Subject panel head | |||
| Subject teacher |
(4) as it is learnt that some schools no longer offer the junior secondary Home Economics subject or the senior secondary Technology and Living curriculum, whether the Government has examined the reasons why some schools have continued to offer such subject or curriculum while other have discontinued them; whether the authorities have other educational resources or programmes in place to encourage students to delve deeper into knowledge related to food or clothing, further consolidate the generic skills they acquired at the junior secondary level, and assist them in constructing new knowledge, thereby nurturing their lifelong learning capabilities; if so, of the specific details, and how schools have responded to such educational resources or programmes; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
President,
Technology Education is one of the eight Key Learning Areas of our school curriculum. It covers six compulsory knowledge contexts, one of which is Technology and Living. Junior secondary students are required to study the learning elements relating to the knowledge context of Technology and Living, while senior secondary students may take Technology and Living as an elective subject.
The reply to the written question raised by the Hon Dennis Leung is as follows:
(1) and (2) While it is compulsory for all students to study the learning content of the knowledge context of Technology and Living at the junior secondary level, schools may implement the curriculum in different modes subject to the needs of their students. The relevant learning content may be presented in the form of a separate subject or covered in different modules, etc. According to the information submitted by schools, there are about 340 schools teaching the knowledge context of Technology and Living as a separate subject with “Home Economics” or “Technology and Living” as the subject name. Some schools adopt a modular approach to teach the learning content of the knowledge context of Technology and Living, promoting and implementing STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) education through the relevant content, breaking subject boundaries, and expanding learning coverage. To support some schools which are unable to provide all the learning content of the knowledge context of Technology and Living at the junior secondary level, the Arts and Technology Education Centre under the Education Bureau (EDB) offers relevant courses for students to cater for their needs.
At the senior secondary level, students can choose either the “Food Science and Technology (FST)” strand or the “Fashion, Clothing and Textiles (FCT)” strand. According to the Survey on Senior Secondary Subject Information conducted by the EDB in 2022/23 and 2023/24 school years, as well as the 2023 and 2024 Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination (HKDSE) entry statistics compiled by the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (data of the 2024/25 school year for the above survey and statistics are not available for the time being), the implementation of the subject of Technology and Living in schools is as follows:
Technology and Living (FCT)
| No. of schools offering the subject | No. of students studying the subject | No. of candidates sitting for the HKDSE | |||||||
| 2022/23 school year | 2023/24 school year | 2022/23 school year* | 2023/24 school year* | 2023 HKDSE | 2024 HKDSE | ||||
| 5 | 5 | Male | Female | Male | Female | Male | Female | Male | Female |
| 24 | 116 | 24 | 110 | 6 | 28 | 8 | 37 | ||
*Including Secondary Four to Six students
Technology and Living (FST)
| No. of schools offering the subject | No. of students studying the subject | No. of candidates sitting for the HKDSE | |||||||
| 2022/23 school year | 2023/24 school year | 2022/23 school year* | 2023/24 school year* | 2023 HKDSE | 2024 HKDSE | ||||
| 19 | 13 | Male | Female | Male | Female | Male | Female | Male | Female |
| 161 | 376 | 148 | 376 | 35 | 118 | 35 | 78 | ||
*Including Secondary Four to Six students
The EDB does not have further breakdown of the number of schools in each district offering Home Economics/Technology and Living at the junior secondary level and Technology and Living at the senior secondary level, as mentioned in the question.
(3) According to government statistics, as at September 2024, there are about 440 public sector and Direct Subsidy Scheme secondary schools across the territory with around 430 Home Economics/Technology and Living teachers aged 21 to 66, with the median age of 46. Regarding the number of teachers who only teach in junior/senior secondary level, and those who teach in both junior and senior secondary levels, the EDB does not maintain such data.
(4) Regarding the implementation of the knowledge context of Technology and Living in Technology Education, schools may adopt different modes of implementing the curriculum at the junior secondary level and decide whether to offer Technology and Living at the senior secondary level, having regard to the school missions and objectives, the expertise of staff, as well as the background and learning needs of their students.
In addition to senior secondary Technology and Living, the senior secondary curriculum includes around 60 Applied Learning courses, many of which are related to Technology Education, such as Fashion Image Design, Pâtisserie and Café Operations, Western Cuisine, Food Technology and Nutrition, providing students with more diversified choices.
The EDB provides professional training including seminars, workshops and online training for teachers teaching the knowledge context of Technology and Living every year. A total of 17 relevant training programmes have been offered in the 2024/25 school year to strengthen teachers’ capability in curriculum planning and implementation. Meanwhile, the EDB promotes peer exchange through professional community activities and focus group discussions, thereby enhancing teachers’ teaching capacity. The EDB also co-operates with tertiary institutions and professional bodies/organisations, including the Chinese Culinary Institute, to provide teachers with the opportunity to practise and experience, with a view to boosting their creativity and enhancing their teaching effectiveness.
In addition, a relevant project with the theme of “Developing School-based Secondary School Home Economics and Technology and Living Curriculum” has been launched this school year (2024/25) under the Quality Education Fund Thematic Networks. With a duration of three school years, the project aims to enhance teachers’ strategies in teaching the element of fashion design, and assist schools in developing an innovative school-based curriculum that caters for the needs of students, so as to optimise its implementation and facilitate professional development of teachers. Student competitions and exhibitions are also organised in the current school year to showcase the learning outcomes of students, and have received positive feedback from the public.
Regarding learning and teaching resources, the EDB continues to update the resources related to the knowledge context of Technology and Living, such as Basic Food Science, Fashion Design Basics and Image Building, to provide content for teachers’ reference, with a view to extending students’ learning, enhancing their exploration abilities and strengthening their generic skills. The EDB also publishes the “Technology and Living Newsletter” (www.edb.gov.hk/en/tl/leaflets) and produces video clips annually to provide teachers and students with relevant information on further studies and employment.
On the other hand, the EDB reviews on an ongoing basis the learning elements of the knowledge context of Technology and Living, such as strengthening the application of innovation and technology and the learning element of sustainable development in the curriculum. The EDB also promotes professional training for teachers through collaboration with different stakeholders in order to meet students’ learning needs.