ABSTRACT
The year 1997 is undoubtedly one with historical significance for Hong Kong, mainly because it marked the end of the over 150-year British colonial rule with the transfer of sovereignty to the People’s Republic of China. Hong Kong then became a Special Administrative Region (hereafter, HKSAR) entitled to a high degree of autonomy in governance in all areas but foreign affairs and national defence in line with the “one country, two systems” framework as stipulated in the Basic Law. The HKSAR government was enthusiastic to demonstrate its strong determination, commitment and ability to bring about sustainable social progress and developments in order to convince the general public that Hong Kong would be governed more effectively and efficiently than under the colonial administration. Therefore, the first chief executive, Tung Chee-Hwa, pledged to launch a series of reforms covering a range of public policy areas, such as health care, public housing, social welfare and also education (Scott, 2005; Tung, 1997). A comprehensive review of the education system in Hong Kong was carried out subsequently in 1999-2000 with the aim to identify development strategies and reform measures to be adopted to deal with changes and challenges arising from globalisation and the emergence of a knowledge-based economy (Education Commission, 1999).
