Several elite schools in Hong Kong have been urged to enhance their teaching approaches to better challenge top-performing students, according to recent evaluations conducted by the Education Bureau. The reviews, part of the bureau’s External School Review reports covering 68 secondary and primary institutions, highlighted concerns that some schools offer insufficient learning opportunities or tasks that lack depth for high-achieving pupils.

Among the institutions receiving recommendations was Queen Elizabeth School in Mong Kok, a government secondary school known for consistently surpassing city-wide averages in the Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) examinations. The report noted that, despite strong academic results, the school’s methods for engaging its highest achievers were limited. It pointed out that some lessons remained teacher-led with low expectations, and that excessive teacher guidance often hindered opportunities for student independence and critical thinking. The report also emphasized that while questioning was frequently used to assess comprehension, the queries were generally straightforward and did not sufficiently promote deeper analytical thinking.

The Education Bureau called on the school to implement differentiated teaching strategies that adjust lesson pace and assign tiered tasks. It also recommended incorporating a broader range of higher-order and extension questions to better stretch more able students. Responding to the feedback, Queen Elizabeth School’s management committee stated that it is developing action plans focused on professional development to support teachers in delivering more challenging and varied tasks aimed at high-ability learners.

Wa Ying College in Ho Man Tin, another school noted for strong examination performance, received similar feedback. Reviewers acknowledged students’ attentiveness and independence but suggested the school could improve by layering assignments by difficulty and offering advanced supplementary challenges. They encouraged staff to pose more analytical questions to prompt deeper investigation by top-performing pupils. The school said it has begun expanding methods of collecting self-evaluation data and intends to use those insights to refine teaching and learning strategies further.

At St Joseph’s College in Central, reviewers commended the high motivation and academic strength of students but indicated that teaching practices should be diversified to better meet various learning needs. The report found that some lessons provided limited opportunities for in-depth thinking, causing some high-achieving students to become idle after completing assigned work. This school was also advised to increase the use of extension and challenging tasks to fully engage higher-ability learners.

While the emphasis was on enhancing education for high performers, the reviews also stressed the need for schools to address the needs of weaker students. SKH Lee Shiu Keung Primary School in Kwun Tong was encouraged to improve questioning techniques by using “layered questions” to develop critical thinking and foster greater interaction during group activities. Similarly, at St Mary’s Canossian School in Tsim Sha Tsui, the bureau urged flexible adjustment of task difficulty to accommodate diverse student abilities and recommended expanding collaborative group work to increase participation by all learners.

Overall, the Education Bureau’s reports signal a call for schools to adopt more tailored teaching approaches, combining differentiated instruction and deeper cognitive challenges, to better nurture both top performers and those needing additional support.