Hong Kong Professional Teachers' Union (HKPTU)
Historical Events: FIGHTS FOR EDUCATIONAL REFORMS
HKPTU has long advocated mother-tongue education.
Recently, we have initiated the "Mother Tongue Charter"
and invited school sponsoring bodies to sign it as a pledge
in support of mother-tongue education. Although the
exercise has not been as successful as we wished, the project
is there. We are confident that it is only a
matter of time when mother-tongue education would finally be implemented.
There has been a lot of development in education since the
introduction of the nine-year compulsory education in 1978. In fact,
over 80% of the young population are receiving one kind of
post-form-three education or another.
Mother-Tongue Education
But unfortunately, development in education has been mostly
aiming at in quantity more than quality. The major problem is the
medium of instruction and learning. Most secondary schools
are reluctant to switch to mother-tongue for fear of losing
out in the recruitment of good students. Another major
problem is the secondary school curriculum which is far more
elitist than the majority of students can handle.
To make learning a happy experience again, Chinese, the mother-
tongue, must be brought back for most of the students. The
secondary school curriculum must be recast to meet the
standard and the needs of the majority of the students.
The Education Commission
The Education Commission is beginning to acquire the right
perspective for change, as witnessed in the various reports it
has produced in the last 10 years or so. The problem with
the Education Commission is that it has never been bold enough in
pressing the government for the changes it has found feasible.
PTU is always ready to give the Education Commission the spiritual support it requires
as far as curriculum reforms go. Let's hope that there will be a new scenario
in education in the next decade which is conducive to effective
learning for the majority of the students.
* Mother Tongue Education:
* Curriculum Reform: