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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 1979
WHILE SHE BELIEVED THAT HONG KONG HAS HAD A VERY GOOD RECORD FOR RACIAL HARMONY AND LACK OF DISCRIMINATION, SHE SAW SOME VERY DISQUIETING DANGER SIGNALS BEING RAISED OVER THE ISSUE.
SHE POINTED OUT THAT EVEN IN THE ANGLO-CHINESE SCHOOLS THERE IS NOT COMPLETE PARITY, FOR EXAMPLE, BETWEEN A TECHNICAL SCHOOL AND A GRAMMAR SCHOOL WHICH GETS LESS SUBSIDY, OR FOR SPECIAL SCHOOLS AND CLASSES WHICH HAVE SMALLER CLASSES.
+SUBS ID IES SHOULD, WITHIN REASONABLE LIMITS, RELATE TO THE NEEDS OF THE INSTITUTION AND CHILD, SHE SAID.
SHE SAID HONG KONG HAS BENEFITTED FROM ITS INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITIES LIKE THE INDIAN AND PORTUGUESE WHO HAVE MADE THE IR HOMES HERE AND MANY ENGLISH-SPEAK ING CHILDREN ARE JUST AS LOCAL AS THE CHILDREN GOING TO THE ANGLO-CHINESE SCHOOLS.
SHE SAID NO QUICK DECISION SHOULD BE MADE FOR REMOVING THE EDUCATION OF ENGLISH-SPEAKING CHILDREN OUT OF THE GENERAL SYSTEM. INDEED, SHE ADDED, THE 1965 WHITE PAPER WHICH PUT FORWARD THE PRINCIPLE OF PARITY, WITHOUT CLEARLY SPELLING IT, HAD IMPLIED UNCERTAINTY AS TO WHETHER IT WOULD BE PRACTICAL.
SHE THOUGHT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD NOT FOSTER SEPARATISM IN THE EDUCATION SYSTEM BUT INSTEAD WORK TOWARDS INCREASED INTEGRATION OF HONG KONG'S DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES.
SHE TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO BRING UP THE DIFFICULTIES FACED BY CHINESE CHILDREN WHOSE PREVIOUS OVERSEAS RESIDENCE OR EDUCATION HINDER THEM FROM COPING WITH THE INTENSIVE STUDY OF CHINESE REQUIRED FOR PROMOTION TO SENIOR SECONDARY AND TERTIARY EDUCATION.
WHEN SHE FIRST CAME TO HONG KONG IN 1949, THESE CHILDREN COULD BE EXEMPTED FROM CHINESE LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS BY TAKING A LOWER CHINESE LANGUAGE PAPER OR ALTERNATIVELY TAKE A FRENCH PAPER.
THE LOWER CHINESE PAPER IS NOW NO LONGER AVAILABLE FOR FORM V STUDENTS OR UNIVERSITY ENTRANCE AND ONLY 11 SCHOOLS THIS YEAR ARE OFFERING FRENCH IN THE HKCE EXAMINATION AND FIVE AT THE ADVANCED LEVEL COURSE.
THESE CHILDREN ARE BEING PENALISED BY BEING PROVIDED WITH AN INADEQUATE NUMBER OF SCHOOLS THAT ARE FREE AT THE PRIMARY LEVEL AND UP TO FORM 1 AND ARE REASONABLY PRICED IN THE SENIOR SECONDARY COURSE FOR NON-CHINESE EXAMINATION STUDENTS, SHE SAID.
SHE GAVE THE EXAMPLE OF A CHILD RETURNING TO HONG KONG AND JOINING AN ANGLO-CHINESE SCHOOL. UNDER THE PRESENT SYSTEM, HE IS EXPECTED TO BE ABLE TO RECOGNISE AND WRITE 456 CHARACTERS BY THE END OF PRIMARY 1, 2,680 CHARACTERS ON ENTRY TO FORM I AND 4,000 CHARACTERS BY THE END OF FORM IT.
HE WILL BE CONSIDERED STUPID BECAUSE HE CANNOT DO THIS AND WILL BE DEMOTED TO A LOWER CLASS.
ORE SUGGES WEND