CERCular: No.2 of 1998

This Edition of CERCular is the sixth since CERC was founded in 1994. Its contents pay testimony to the way the Centre has developed into a vibrant and productive locus of activity in Comparative Education.

Two further publications have appeared in the CERC Studies in Comparative Education series; the seminar programme remains active; and CERC members continue to publish internationally and provide community services.

Recently we added a new dimension to the work of the Centre by running an induction course for 270 native English teachers who were recruited to work in Hong Kong. It is clear from the feedback that our expertise in comparative education allowed us to provide a course which anticipated the problems encountered in schools by teachers, many of whom had never worked overseas. Consequently, in marked contrast to similar schemes previously introduced in Hong Kong, the wastage rate of teachers and the problems of adaptation have been minimised. This venture serves to underline one very practical application of a comparative perspective on education.

These achievements are a tribute to the hard work of a number of people. Four deserve special mention for their commitment. The first Director, Lee Wing On, who has recently taken up a post at the HKIEd; Mark Bray the current Director who is on study leave; Bob Adamson who organized the seminar series and has just been awarded his Ph.D; and Emily Mang, who is CERC's dedicated, creative and efficient Secretary.

Paul Morris