The Role of Visual Arts education in Hong Kong in Response to Social Chanllenges under the New Senior Secondary Curriculum

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Starting from 2000, Hong Kong has been undergoing a curriculum reform with a view to nurturing students' whole-person development and helping them cope with challenges of various aspects such as human relationship, economic structure, technological development, etc. In this connection, new curriculum frameworks of the basic education for all eight Key Learning Areas and/subjects including the Arts Education Key Learning Area and Visual Arts were issued by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in early 2000s.

To align with the reform in basic education and cope with the need of society, a new senior secondary education system and curriculum have been developed and will be implemented from 2009 school year onward. The new senior secondary Visual Arts curriculum thus has been revised in accordance with the basic education. This curriculum is different from the existing one in several ways. The paper will present the role of the new senior secondary Visual Arts curriculum and how it responds to social challenges.

Stream: Creative Arts and Learning

Paper: A paper has not yet been submitted.

Dr. Vanessa LI is the representative of the Education Bureau (EDB). She works in the Arts Education Section of EDB and is responsible for developing the Visual Arts curriculum for local schools from primary to senior secondary education levels. Before joining EDB, she has been involved in tertiary education teaching art education and studio art, and secondary education teaching visual arts and language for years. Her education includes a Doctor of Philosophy degree in art education at the University of Queensland (Australia), a Master degree in creative arts education at the University of New South Wales (Australia) and a Bachelor degree in art education at the University of Liverpool (U.K.). Her research covers a range of areas including art education and curriculum development, creativity, children's art learning, art curriculum design, art learning and technology, and integrated curriculum of the arts.