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Quality Review Mechanism

 

Quality Review (QR) continues to be improvement-oriented and school-specific by taking kindergarten (KG)’s areas of concern as the starting point and making reference to the recommendations made in the previous QR. The Performance Indicators (Kindergartens) (PIs) will be used by the review teams to make professional judgment on overall school performance, so as to assess if the KG has met the prescribed standards. It provides the basis for ascertaining the KG's eligibility for joining the Kindergarten Education Scheme (Scheme). The new cycle of QR started from the 2018/19 school year. The EDB notifies KGs of the exact QR dates eight weeks in advance. Each QR visit lasts for 2.5 or 3.5 days depending on the school size.

 

 

Reference Materials

1.Handbook on Quality Review for Kindergartens PDF
2.Form for School’s Written Response to the Draft QR Report MS Word
3.Introduction to the Kindergarten Quality Assurance Information System
4.Inspection Reports

 

Frequently Asked Questions and Answers concerning QR Mechanism

1.Q:The new cycle of QR started from the 2018/19 school year. How would the EDB determine the timing for conducting QR at individual KGs?
 A:The timing for conducting QR at individual KGs will be determined on the basis of random selection of KGs each year with adjustment with regard to the time interval between the previous and upcoming QRs.
 
2.Q:Why should QR reports be uploaded onto the EDB website?
 A:The Quality Assurance Framework under the Scheme aims at promoting sustainable development in schools and making it accountable to the public. Taking into account the views from KGs and parents, EDB has uploaded both Chinese and English versions of the QR reports and the focus inspection reports onto the EDB website starting from the 2018/19 school year and the 2022/23 school year respectively. It is for improving transparency and informing public of the school development in a timely manner.
 
3.Q:What is the basis for review teams to evaluate the performance of KGs?
 A:With reference to PIs, all review teams make an overall professional judgment on whether KGs concerned have met the prescribed standards, which means KGs’ performance in all domains at least meets the acceptable level. PIs have been uploaded onto the EDB website.
 
4.Q:What and how many documents should KGs prepare for the QR?
 A:The rationale of Quality Assurance Framework is to enhance School Self-evaluation (SSE). QR complements SSE to facilitate the sustainable development of KGs. Establishing a systematic SSE mechanism should be the priority task of KGs so that SSE can be gradually embedded in schools’ daily practices for continuous improvement. KGs should make full use of the documents and information readily available in school for SSE to avoid unnecessary preparation.
 
5.Q:Stakeholder Survey is conducted in our school every year. Do we need to conduct the Survey again when we receive notification of QR?
 A:KGs do not need to conduct the Survey again if the stakeholder questionnaires (2017 edition) provided by the EDB are used for SSE. Upon receiving notification of QR, KGs should submit the compiled results of the Survey that was conducted in the same school year as the School Report was prepared. However, if KGs conduct the Survey by using school-based questionnaires or an adapted version of the EDB stakeholder questionnaires, upon receiving notification of QR, KGs are required to conduct a stakeholder survey by using the stakeholder questionnaires (2017 edition) provided by the EDB and forward the results to the EDB within a specified time frame.
 
6.Q:What will be the consequences for KGs that are assessed as not meeting the prescribed standards in QR?
 A:KGs joining the Scheme (Scheme-KGs) must meet the prescribed standards based on the PIs. Any Scheme-KGs assessed as not meeting the prescribed standards may apply for a follow-up QR by submitting an improvement plan to the EDB within two months after receiving the final QR report. A separate team of inspectors from the EDB will conduct a follow-up QR about 12 months after the issue of the final QR report. If KGs are assessed as having met the prescribed standards in the follow-up QR, they will remain eligible for the Scheme. For KGs that do not meet the prescribed standards in the follow-up QR, EDB will contemplate termination of their status as a Scheme-KG and cease the provision of government subsidy.
 
7.Q:Why do QR visits involve external observers?
 A:To enhance the transparency of QR, EDB has involved independent members as external observers in some QR visits since the 2013/14 school year. From the 2018/19 to the 2020/21 school years, a pilot scheme was implemented to invite serving KG principals to serve as external observers. Based on the positive results of the pilot scheme, the Serving Principal External Observer Scheme in Quality Review was regularised in the 2021/22 school year and training was provided to principals participating in the Scheme. To further enhance the transparency of QR, serving principal external observers will be arranged to take part in some QR visits according to the QR mechanism from the 2022/23 school year. They share their observation with the KGs but do not assess school performance.
 
8.Q:Do KGs need to have special preparation for the external observers?
 A:No, they don’t. During the process of QR, external observers will follow the review team to have observation, so KGs do not need to do special preparation.