Key policy issues in the promotion of information technology in vocational education: some lessons from the five-year strategy in Hong Kong

Abstract

In this information era, the promotion of information technology (IT) in education has become an important agenda for governments all over the world. In June 1998, the Hong Kong Government of the Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) published a policy document entitled "Information Technology for Quality Education: Five-Year Strategy 1998/99 to 2002/03" as a blueprint for the promotion of IT in education. Despite the commitment and financial support provided by the HKSAR government, several problems have been identified in the policy plan and in fact, have emerged in the course of its implementation. This paper applies four key policy evaluation categories - namely, technical feasibility, political viability, financial feasibility and administrative operability to suggest ways for improvement and to explain their relevance in promoting IT in vocational education.