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An Overview of Gifted Education Development in Hong Kong
  • 1990
  • 1992
  • 1994
  • 1995
  • 1996
  • 1997-98
  • 2000
  • 2003
  • 2008
The Education Commission Report No.4 initiated the development and implementation of gifted education in Hong Kong by recommending the development of school-based programmes to cater for the needs of the gifted students. The report also explored the definition of the gifted children and their learning needs.
A research team consisted of academics from Hong Kong universities was formed to launched research studies on the adaptation of assessment tools and the distribution of academically gifted children in local schools. As a result, the adaptation of the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking for use with local children, Behavioural characteristics checklist for Gifted Student (for teacher's use and parents' use) were completed.
A 3-year ‘Pilot School-based Programme for Academically Gifted Children’ was launched by the Education Department.* Educational psychologists provided regular school-based support to the pilot schools on programme planning, curriculum development, student selection and teacher training.
Fung Hon Chu Gifted Education Centre, in line with the initiative of Education Commission No. 4 Report was established. The Centre was named to commemorate its deceased benefactor Mr. Fung Hon Chu for donating eight million Hong Kong dollars for the phase-one renovation of the Centre. It functions as a resource centre for promoting gifted education in Hong Kong by providing resources and support for gifted students, parents and teachers.
In the Report of the Sub-committee on Special Education by the Board of Education, it was recommended that gifted education should be included in the core curriculum of initial teacher education, in refresher courses and in long term development programmes for teachers. Tertiary institutions in Hong Kong should consider offering a local post-graduate degree course to train up professionals for gifted education.
The Education Department* conducted the evaluation on ‘Pilot School-based Programme for Academically Gifted Children’ to examine the process and outcomes of the pilot scheme. Recommendations on the Hong Kong gifted education were made.
The current gifted education policy in Hong Kong was formulated. It operates under a three-tier framework in which the government encourages and supports schools to provide school-based gifted development programmes to meet the needs of gifted children.
Gifted Education Section of Education & Manpower Bureau* was formally established to implement the gifted education policy. The office of Gifted Education Section is located in the Fung Hon Chu Gifted Education Centre. Present address: 3/F, East Block, Education Bureau Kowloon Tong Education Services Centre, 19 Suffolk Road, Kowloon Tong.
The Hong Kong Academy for Gifted Education set up to provide information, advice and support to teachers, gifted students and their parents.
Further details can be found at the following website: http://www.edb.gov.hk/index.aspx?langno=1&nodeID=4157#report4

*The Education Department was renamed as Education and Manpower Bureau on 1st January 2003 and the Education and Manpower Bureau was renamed as Education Bureau on 1st July, 2007

Background to Gifted Education in Hong Kong
The policy on gifted education for schools in Hong Kong was first recommended by the Education Commission in its Report No. 4 (1990). The mission of gifted education then was to systematically and strategically explore and develop the potential of gifted students by providing them with opportunities to receive education at appropriate levels in a flexible teaching and learning environment. These fundamental principles have not changed.   The guiding principles for gifted education in Hong Kong are:  
  • Nurturing multiple intelligences is a requirement of basic education for all students and should be part of the mission for all schools
  • The needs of gifted children are best met within their own schools though it is recognized that opportunities to learn with similarly gifted students are important. Schools have an obligation to provide stimulating and challenging learning opportunities for their students
  • The identification of gifted students should recognize the breadth of multiple intelligences
  • Schools should ensure that the social and emotional, as well as the intellectual, needs of gifted children are recognized and met.
Based on these guiding principles, a three-tier gifted education framework was adopted in 2000.



  • Level 1:
    A:To immerse the core elements advocated in gifted education i.e. High-order thinking skills, creativity and personal-social competence in the curriculum for ALL students;
    B: To differentiate teaching through appropriate grouping of students to meet the different needs of the groups with enrichment and extension of curriculum across ALL subjects in regular classrooms.
  • Level 2:
    C:To conduct pull-out programmes of generic nature outside the regular classroom to allow systematic training for a homogeneous group of students (e.g. Creativity training, leadership training, etc.);
    D:To conduct pull-out programme in specific areas (e.g. Maths, Arts, etc.) outside the regular classroom to allow systematic training for students with outstanding performance in specific domains.
  • Level 3:
    E:The HKAGE collaborates with tertiary institutions and other educational organizations / bodies to provide a wide and increasing range of programmes for exceptionally gifted students.

Gifted Education Policy in Hong Kong
The Three-Tier Model of Gifted Education in Hong Kong - A Brief Introduction

Name Level 1:
Whole-class		 Level 2:
Pull-out 		Level 3:
Off-site support
Target group All students in secondary and primary schools, no selection is needed Selected outstanding students in secondary or primary schools Gifted students nominated by secondary or primary schools
Responsible organisations for implementation All schools at primary and secondary levels Secondary and primary schools The HKAGE, local universities or tertiary institutes
Implementation place and time In regular classroom

Within school time-table		 Inside school

Within or after regular school hours		 Outside school

After school hours, e.g. weekends, summer vacation
Examples of curriculum or learning activities Infusion of the three core elements of gifted education into all curriculum: i.e. high-order thinking skills, creativity and personal-social competence General enrichment program: broaden and deepen the original curriculum in order to match with the learning needs of the gifted students

Programmes of key learning areas: Creative writing in English Language, Leadership training, etc. 		Website:
http://hkage.org.hk
Resource provided Financial resources: Capacity Enhancement Grant is provided for all primary and secondary schools by the government.

Human resources: Professional advice from the Gifted Education Section is provided for schools. Advice includes the design and implementation of School-based Gifted Development Programmes.		 The HKAGE cooperates with or/and commissions tertiary institutes to offer external resource support to exceptionally gifted students.

Further details can be found at the following website:
http://www.edb.gov.hk/index.aspx?langno=1&nodeID=4156
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