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Secondary schools will not be allowed to decide
whether to teach in Chinese or English, Permanent Secretary for Education and
Manpower Fanny Law said Wednesday.
Allowing schools to make these decisions themselves would create many
difficulties, she said.
The government think-tank Education Commission has launched a consultation on
the medium of instruction and the secondary school places allocation exercise,
which ends Saturday.
The consultation document suggested schools using English for instruction should
have at least 85 percent of students classified as able to learn in the
language. Teachers at these schools should have at least grade-C in English in
the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination.
Some educators, especially from institutions using English, said schools should
be allowed to decide language issues on their own.
A pressure group on education policy presented a petition signed by more than
10,000 parents to Chief Executive Donald Tsang Wednesday.
It criticized the commission for excluding parents from selecting the language
of instruction for their children and depriving students of opportunities to
improve English.
English schools in Hong Kong are regarded as prestigious, and parents fear their
children's English standards will slip if they are allocated to schools that
teach in Chinese.
Law said after attending an education forum that the commission understood the
concerns of parents and educators.
``The working group under the commission is studying the issue. It is their
ultimate aim to give schools sole discretion to decide their medium of
instruction,'' she said.
``However, we need to have many corresponding arrangements, and we are waiting
for an appropriate time to achieve that aim. The commission found that there
will be `unimaginable difficulties' involved if schools are given that
discretion now.''
The Hong Kong Professional Teachers Union believes a student's mother tongue is
the best medium of instruction.
It also says schools should not be given the discretion to decide
which language to use.
It says the government should give more support to students who have been
admitted to English schools but are struggling with the language.
teddy.ng@singtaonewscorp.com
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