Liberal Studies as a Core Subject
Among the areas of concern in the proposed curriculum reform, the introduction of Liberal Studies as one of the core subjects at the senior secondary level, its implementation time frame and the repercussions it will have on teacher education and student assessment sparked off a public discourse involving schools, teachers, parents and students which was reflected in extensive press coverage.

Why has Liberal Studies been proposed as a core subject? We can identify several underlying concerns that can be drawn from the consultation document and its "sub-document" - "Proposed Core Subject Framework for the New Senior Secondary Curriculum: Liberal Studies 1st Draft" (also issued in October 2004).

In the documents, it is stated that like any other advanced society, Hong Kong under the impact of globalisation is moving quickly towards a knowledge-based economy. To remain competitive, Hong Kong needs young people who:
*	are active learners able to synthesise knowledge, analyse it, apply it and present its possible perspectives logically;
*	know how to identify problems, think critically, solve problems creatively and communicate effectively;
*	are independent unique individuals and yet know how to collaborate with others.

Liberal Studies - an Illustrative Lession

With globalisation and the popularity of access to information via the internet, knowledge is no longer something static which can be acquired through rote memorisation. The topic under study in Liberal Studies can be so current that there might not be any readily available textbooks. The highly dynamic nature of Liberal Studies hence poses great challenges to both students and teachers. Let us take a topical issue like "red fire ants" as an example. The kind of problems which a project assignment on red fire ants may involve is illustrated on the following pages.

HKIEd plays a pivotal role in helping teachers to enhance their skills and knowledge in the upcoming reforms.