Capacity building for school development: current problems and future challenges

This article offers a theoretical discussion on the current problems and future challenges of school capacity building in early childhood education (ECE), aiming to highlight some key areas for future research. In recent years, there has been a notable policy shift from monitoring quality through inspection to improving quality through school capacity building in early childhood institutions in the global discourse for quality. Reflecting this policy shift and its implications on school development, ECE in Hong Kong is used as an illustrative example to deliberate the issues of school capacity building in Chinese educational contexts. We identify three challenging contexts: (1) low professional qualification and minimal teacher education resulting in a deficit approach to processional development, (2) absence of school-based professional learning culture for empowering teachers as internal agents of change, and (3) hierarchical culture within a school and between university and school hindering the process of school capacity building. Corresponding to these challenges, we aim to propose two suggestions, including (1) empowering teachers in ECE through school-based professional learning community and (2) promoting authentic external support in the process of university–school collaboration. Finally, we further propose specific directions for future research on school capacity building in ECE in Hong Kong. In doing so, it will contribute to knowledge-based development in school capacity building in Chinese educational contexts.     

香港青年国家认同的现实危机与破解路径

香港青年国家认同是影响粤港澳大湾区建设进程的焦点问题。新时代香港青年理应积极投身粤港澳大湾区建设事业,但现实中的“非理性行为”却令人瞠目结舌。基于香港青年国家认同历史演进的动态追踪,把握其“前世今生”以重塑当代价值,立足新时代香港青年国家认同的现实困境,透视并深刻捕捉外在表征,据此可构建瞄准危机的系统破解路径。     

孔子饮食观管窥

饮食，既是人类生存的第一所求，又是人类文明的初始之源。孔子之于饮食，既重其在安邦定国上的政治作用，又重其在人格修养上的道德内涵，也注意到了它的科学性。孔子对饮食的认知，从一个侧面呈现了他的仁礼学说。     

Educational reforms and the practices of professional learning community in Hong Kong primary schools

Abstract

This study explored the characteristics of professional learning communities (PLCs) in Hong Kong primary schools. It investigated the profiles of the strengths of professional learning community in schools under study and particularly examined the practices in schools which were identified as strong PLCs. It extends research on PLCs in the Hong Kong context and formulates a quantitative perspective to compare and validate PLC variables across schools in Hong Kong. The Professional Learning Community Questionnaire (PLCQ) for Hong Kong schools was developed to assess the PLC practices in six different areas: leadership for teacher learning, collaborative learning capacity, student-focused orientation, a culture of sharing, mutual understanding and support, and continuous professional development. A composite construct, the Professional Learning Community Index (PLCI) expressed in quantitative terms was utilized to assess the strength of PLC in a school. The research findings show that within the schools which were identified as strong professional learning communities, both the school leaders and teachers had strong emphases on the six subscales of the PLC practices.     

《红楼梦》两个英译本中回目翻译的对比研究

中国古典文学四大名著之一《红楼梦》被喻为中国十八世纪社会百科全书。多年来，中外译者都不遗余力地通过翻译将其介绍给西方读者。其中的优秀作品首推杨宪益与霍克思(Hawkes)两位翻译家的《红楼梦》英译本。他们的译文各有特色与侧重点，充分为我们展示了翻译的艺术。本文选取《红楼梦》回目翻译作为对比研究的切入点是由于其别具特色，异彩纷呈，美不胜收，具有很高的艺术成就和审美价值。通过对这两个英译本的对比研究，我们可以对两位译者的翻译风格与翻译方法有一个大致的认识，这对于提高我们对翻译作品的鉴赏能力，加深我们对翻译理论的认识都是大有裨益的。     

When Christian education meets patriotism: Christian organisations’ response to the introduction of Moral and National Education in Hong Kong schools

Plans by the Hong Kong Government to introduce moral and national education (MNE) as a compulsory subject in primary and secondary schools in 2010 encountered strong opposition. The controversy over the plans has lasted for two years, with the government and its supporters claiming that the subject will help to instil a stronger sense of national identity in children and critics deriding it as biased and constituting a form of brainwashing. The subject is also seen as posing troubles or a considerable threat to local Christian schools because most of them have had their own religious education programmes for years. Most Christian school-sponsoring bodies and parachurch organisations oppose the subject’s introduction, urging the government to scrap its curricular guidelines, and many say they will boycott its implementation. To bring the issues surrounding MNE into sharper focus, this article traces the development of Christian education in Hong Kong and analyses how local Christian communities perceive and have responded to the official proposal. Three prominent themes commonly emphasised in the Christian discourse are plural identities, conditional patriotism and universal values. These themes could shed light on wider theoretical discussion about the positive roles of religion and religious education for citizenship education.     

1894年省港疫灾研究

1894年，省港两地疫灾肆虐，不仅给两地造成了生命财产的重大损失，而且还导致了各种社会矛盾的激化。为此，省港两地都开展了抗灾救灾活动，但由于两地社会状况不同，所取举措不同，抗灾救灾呈现出不同的特点，也带来迥异的成效。     

心灵的独白——《缪弘遗诗》评介

缪弘是一位抗日英雄,牺牲时年仅19岁.他生前勤奋创作,但作品多散佚,唯有牺牲后西南联大文艺社为他编辑的《缪弘遗诗》有少量存世.文章对这本诗集作了较为详细的评介,认为:《缪弘逮诗》是诗人的心灵独白,主要内容包括郁闷与痛苦、追求与归宿、同情与歌颂、抗战与爱国等几个方面.     

生命体悟:萧红小说的深层哲学意蕴

萧红是直感型、体验型作家 ,她很少在作品中作理性剖析和哲理探讨 ,但对人的生存状况、生存环境和生命质量一直深深地关注 ,且始终流贯于作品中 ,她对生命有很深的体悟。生命体悟 ,正是萧红小说的深层哲理内蕴的体现     

Dynamics of Chinese nationalistic education in Hong Kong from 1945 to 2012

‘Chinese’ is an ambiguous term, depending on whether it is taken to describe a political, linguistic, or cultural entity. While the term has often been considered to represent a politically and culturally homogeneous national identity in recent decades, this article aims to challenge this notion by examining the characteristics and practices of nationalistic education in Hong Kong since 1945. It explores how national identity has been interpreted by different Chinese states over time through different educational policies and practices. Focusing on the evolution of nationalistic education in three phases, this article presents a detailed account and analyses different nationalist narratives over six decades. It describes how different political forces define themselves and come to terms with what are often dual or competing national identities. Historical examples illustrate the challenges in policies and practices of nationalistic education.