The Curriculum Development  Council (CDC) of Hong Kong will make every endeavor to promote  curriculum development in local schools to help students meet the  challenges of a knowledge-based, interdependent and changing  society, said Professor Wong Yuk-shan, new CDC chairman, Tuesday.

   Speaking at a media session after chairing his first CDC  meeting Tuesday, Wong said the government will place education at  the top of our social policy agenda and continue steadfastly to  increase its investment in education, as mentioned at the fifth  Policy Address by Chief Executive Tung Chee Hwa.

   Wong said that the CDC had published the final report "Learning to Learn - the Way Forward in Curriculum Development" in July,  setting out the general directions for curriculum development in  Hong Kong and the tasks ahead for the next 10 years.

   Outlining the main tasks of CDC in the coming year, he said the CDC will develop new Curriculum Guides for Basic Education, Key  Learning Areas and other subjects.

   It will collect views and suggestions on strategies, paces and  supports to schools on promoting curriculum reforms continuously,  he noted.

   The CDC will also set up the ad hoc committee on life-wide  learning to promote students' all-round development and review and develop the new curriculum for senior secondary schools.

   "For the betterment of our future masters of Hong Kong, members of the community and educational organizations should work  collaboratively and in close partnership to enable our students to achieve whole-person development and life-long learning," Wong  said.