WEDNEŁDAY, JANUARY 21, 1987
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HE SAID HE WAS HAPPY TO LEARN THAT A RECENTLY-CONDUCTED EDUCATION DEPARTMENT SURVEY ON THE USE OF CHINESE AS THE MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION IN SCHOOLS AFTER 198 SHOULD THE RESPONSE FROM MOST SECONDARY SCHOOLS WAS ENCOURAGING.
ALTHOUGH A FEW SCHOOLS INDICATED THAT THEY WOULD TEACH ALL SUBJECTS IN CHINESE, THE MAJORITY SAID THAT THEY WERE PREPARED TO USE CHINESE AS THE MEDIUM OF TEACHING FOR SOME SUBJECTS.
MA LIU SAID HE FULLY UNDERSTOOD THAT IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT FOR SCHOOL AUTHORITIES TO MAKE A DECISION AS THE VIEWS OF THE STUDENTS' PARENTS MUST ALSO BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT.
THEREFORE, IT WAS WISE FOR THEM TO TAKE A PRUDENT ATTITUDE AND A PROGRESSIVE APPROACH, HE SAID. HOWEVER, THERE WERE INDICATIONS THAT THE SITUATION WAS INDEED ENCOURAGING AND THAT AN IMPRESSIVE PROGRESS WOULD SOON BE MADE IN THE USE OF CHINESE AS THE MEDIUM OF TEACHING.
REGARDING THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE STANDARD OF ENGLISH, MR LIU SAID THAT THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT HAD NOT PUT FORWARD ANY LONG- TERM PLANS.
HE SAID THAT HONG KONG AS AN INTERNATIONAL CITY WOULD SUFFER A SERIOUS SETBACK IN TRADING, CULTURAL AS WELL AS FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES WHICH DEPEND ON ENGLISH AS A MEDIUM OF COMMUNICATION IF THE STANDARD OF ENGLISH WERE TO DECLINE.
HE SAID HE HOPED THAT THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE WOULD TAKE A SERIOUS VIEW OF THIS MATTER TO ENSURE A BALANCED DEVELOPMENT AND AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE STANDARD OF BOTH ENGLISH AND CHINESE.
LANGUAGES SHOULD BE GIVEN EQUAL WEIGHT
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A FAVOURABLE SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT IS VITAL TO PROMOTE EFFECTIVELY THE USE OF CHINESE AS THE TEACHING MEDIUM AND RAISE FURTHER THE STANDARD OF ENGLISH AMONG STUDENTS, THE HON ROSANNA TAM SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
SHE SAID THAT UNDER THE EXISTING CIVIL SERVICE SYSTEM WHICH GAVE MORE WEIGHT TO ENGLISH THAN TO CHINESE, AND CONSIDERING THE SOCIAL VALUES ATTACHED TO THE TWO LANGUAGES AS WELL AS THE PROSPECTS FOR FURTHER EDUCATION, IT WAS NOT SURPRISING THAT SCHOOL AUTHORITIES AND PARENTS OF STUDENTS HAD LITTLE CONFIDENCE IN CHOOSING CHINESE AS THE MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION.
/SPEAKING DURING