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Programme Code: C3B001 (Government-funded)
(Online application: Please choose “Top-up Degree” for the Application Type) |
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Programme Aims
This programme assists qualified early childhood educators to become highly competent, innovative and ethical professionals who are able to contribute to the development of quality programmes for young children and their families in Hong Kong.
The teaching methods of this programme aim to encourage students to challenge and extend their understanding of early childhood education in general, and their own practice in particular. Approaches to teaching are generally interactive and non-didactic. Students will be encouraged to reflect and build on their practical experience through participation in workshops, seminars and tutorials in a stimulating teaching and learning environment.
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Programme Features
Professional Upgrading
- In the 2006/07 Policy Address, the government encourages all kindergarten principals to pursue further studies and obtain a degree by 2011/12.
- The Education Bureau (EDB) proposes as one of the new initiatives in Pre-primary Education all new principals from the 2009/10 school year must have a degree in early childhood education (BEd(ECE)).
- Graduates of this programme who have been teaching in special child care service units throughout the programme years and have completed the required courses in special education will be considered as having acquired training on the One-year In-service Course in Special Child Care Work recognised by the Social Welfare Department.
Autonomy of Study and Flexible Programme Duration
- Students may undertake elective courses according to their interests and base on them to complete the project report.
- Students may complete the programme within three to five years with the same total amount of tuition fee for the programme. Students can apply to the Programme Coordinator with a study plan before the commencement of any semester of Year 1 or 2 or before the commencement of Year 3. Applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis. If approved, tuition fees will then be calculated on a pro-rata basis and charged according to the number of credit points to be taken in each year.
Availability of Both Daytime and Evening Classes
- In addition to the evening classes offered at Tai Po Campus and Town Centre/satellite study centre at urban locations, daytime classes are also offered at Tai Po Campus and Town Centre. All teaching venues will be decided by the Institute.
Town Centre will be moved to Tseung Kwan O and/or other locations in Kowloon. Details to be announced.
Interactive Learning Mode
- Students will be encouraged to reflect and build on their practical experience in early childhood education through participation in workshops, seminars and tutorials in a stimulating teaching and learning environment.
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Programme Structure
This in-service programme is a three-year part-time programme comprising 60 credit points (cps). It is designed to "add-on" to the in-service Certificate/Higher Diploma in Kindergarten Education Programme (CE(KG)/HD(KG)), or the pre-service Certificate/Higher Diploma in Early Childhood Education Programme (CE(ECE)/HD(ECE)) or equivalent to form a full programme of 120 cps. Graduates of these certificate/higher diploma programmes or equivalent will be given advanced standing of 60 cps.
This programme comprises the following domains:
- Education Studies
- Subject Studies
- Field Experience
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Education Studies
This domain includes courses primarily focused on children and their families or on education theory. These courses are divided into three strands, namely Foundations of Early Childhood Education, Teaching and Learning in Early Childhood Education and Specialized Studies with core and elective courses. The core courses are sequenced to start with a focus on children's studies and critical issues about early childhood education. Further, the Specialized Studies strand consists of eight specialized areas/streams. Students can select one out of eight specialized areas/streams. The compulsory and elective courses in each specialized area/stream enable students to follow-up areas of interest in greater depth.
A Project of supervised field study has to be conducted over the final year of the programme. Relevant research methodology is introduced in an earlier course, Research Methods of Child Study, and a further broadening of systematic inquiry skills will be provided in the Project course.
Foundations of Early Childhood Education Strand
Core courses under this strand are:
- Comparative Early Childhood Education
- Current Trends in Child Development and Assessment
- Research Methods of Child Study
- Theoretical Perspectives on Early Childhood Practice
- Working with Diverse Families: Theory and Practice
Teaching and Learning in Early Childhood Education Strand
Core courses under this strand are :
- Current Curriculum Issues in Early Childhood Education
- Emergent Literacy
- Issues in Child Health, Safety and Welfare
- Issues in Transition
Specialized Studies Strand
A core course under this strand is:
Eight specialized areas/streams are:
- Language and Literacy (English Stream)
- Language and Literacy (Chinese Stream)
- Mathematics and Science
- Creativity and Aesthetics (Art Stream)
- Creativity and Aesthetics (Music and Movement Stream)
- Child and Family Well-being
- Special Needs
- Leadership, Policy and Innovation
Students are required to select one of the above specialized areas/streams, take the compulsory courses of the chosen area/stream and the elective courses from the chosen area/stream and/or any areas/streams.
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Subject Studies
Courses in this domain enable students to further extend their personal and professional development and their own knowledge base in a selected subject area. Students may wish to enrich their personal competencies in a related discipline or they may wish to continue studying in an area introduced at the Certificate/Higher Diploma level.
Students are required to complete three Subject Studies courses, namely Chinese, English and one elective. The role of the two language Subject Studies courses is to further students' ability to use Chinese and English for professional and academic purposes, and to enhance their communicative competence in the two languages. The courses are:
- Chinese III
- English for Early Childhood Education
One elective from the following:
- Art II
- Chinese IV
- ECE Bridge Two (English)
- Mathematics II
- Music II
- Physical Education II
- Putonghua II
- Science II
- Social Studies II
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Field Experience
This domain consists of two Integrated Field Studies (IFS) courses, namely IFS I and IFS II, aiming to:
- assist students to further develop/improve their teaching competence/school practice and reflective capabilities in their professional development;
- promote integration of theory and practice for students to critically translate programme content into workplace practice; and
- foster the use of systematic inquiry as a tool for improving practice.
Students are required to develop their IFS I and II proposal into a Project. IFS and Project supervisors will provide guidance to students at face-to-face sessions conducted in the Institute. Students taking the specialized area of Special Needs will be visited by the Project supervisors at least once, on top of the sessions conducted in the Institute, in order to fulfil the requirements stipulated by the Social Welfare Department on recognition of the Programme as having acquired training on the One-year In-service Course in Special Child Care Work.
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Medium of Instruction
The medium of instruction is mainly Chinese. English is adopted as the language of instruction for relevant courses, as appropriate.
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Mode of Study
Day Release Class
Students are normally required to attend two to four 3-hour sessions per week. Courses will be held on weekdays from 8:30 am to 6:20 pm at Tai Po Campus or Town Centre whereas some may be offered on weekdays from 6:30 pm to 9:20 pm and/or on Saturday from 8:30 am to 6:20 pm at Tai Po Campus or Town Centre/satellite study centre at urban locations.
Evening Class
Students are normally required to attend two to four 3-hour sessions per week. Courses will be held on weekdays from 6:30 pm to 9:20 pm at Tai Po Campus or Town Centre/satellite study centre at urban locations as decided by the Institute whereas some may be offered on Saturday from 2:30 pm to 5:20 pm in one of the campuses.
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Career Prospects/Professional Qualifications
Graduates of the programme will:
- meet the professional qualifications as kindergarten principal*;
- be able to work competently in a broad range of positions that involve working with children and families;
- obtain degree-level professional qualifications that are in high demand in the early childhood education sector; and
- be eligible to apply for the Institute's Master of Education Programme.
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Entrance Requirements
To be eligible for admission, applicants should normally have completed the Certificate/Higher Diploma in Kindergarten Education Programme (CE(KG)/HD(KG)) or Certificate/Higher Diploma in Early Childhood Education Programme (CE(ECE)/HD(ECE)) or equivalent, such as Higher Diploma in Child Care and Education, with a Grade Point Average of 2.0 or above. Eligible applicants may be required to attend an interview.
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Early Admission
Early admission offers will be given to highly qualified applicants. These applicants will be informed of the admission result individually. Applicants who are not offered early admission shall not assume that they are not being considered for admission. Please check the progress of your application according to the schedule in "Interviews and Admission Results".
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