GROWING SCHOOL-BASED EXCELLENCE

To better support primary schools that demonstrate strong school-based programmes which can benefit their students educationally, MOE launched the Programme for School-based Excellence in primary schools in January 2005.

Successful applicant schools will receive a recurrent grant of up to $100,000 per year per primary school, to further raise the quality and outreach of their school-based programmes/initiatives. Examples of areas of excellence for which primary schools can apply under the Programme for School-based Excellence include:

  • New teaching approaches or pedagogies (e.g. human dynamics);
  • Aesthetics (e.g. calligraphy or art);
  • Character Development (e.g. outdoor rugged activities).

In March 2005, 16 primary schools were named recipients of the inaugural Programme for School-Based Excellence. The schools were selected for demonstrated areas of excellence in domains of cognitive, physical, social, aesthetics and moral development.

Uses of the grant include hiring of additional staff or instructors, training of teachers in the school’s niche area, minor infrastructure development and purchase of materials.

The Programme for School-Based Excellence will encourage even greater diversity in our primary school landscape. It is an important step in our efforts to develop strong primary schools with distinctive character, so as to provide more opportunities for our students to develop strong peaks in different areas of excellence.