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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1991
ISSUES CRUCIAL TO EDUCATIONAL QUALITY BEING ADDRESSED
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HONG KONG IS ADDRESSING A SET OF ISSUES RELATING то LANGUAGE IN EDUCATION CRUCIAL TO ACHIEVEMENT AND MAINTENANCE OF EDUCATIONAL QUALITY, THE SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER, MR JOHN CHAN, SAID TODAY (TUESDAY).
SPEAKING AT THE OPENING OF THE SEVENTH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ORGANISED BY THE INSTITUTE OF LANGUAGE IN EDUCATION, MR CHAN SAID THE POLICY WAS TO ENCOURAGE SCHOOLS ΤΟ ADOPT CHINESE AS THE MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION BUT TO LEAVE IT то INDIVIDUAL SCHOOL AUTHORITIES TO DECIDE WHETHER THEIR MEDIUM SHOULD BE ENGLISH OR CHINESE.
HE ALSO SAID THAT THE USE OF THE SO-CALLED "MIXED-CODE" IN SCHOOLS SHOULD BE REDUCED IN FAVOUR OF CLEAR AND CONSISTENT USE IN EACH CLASS OF CHINESE OR ENGLISH IN RESPECT OF TEACHING, TEXTBOOKS AND EXAMINATIONS.
"WE ARE TAKING THE VIEW THAT EACH STUDENT SHOULD BE EDUCATED IN THE SECONDARY SCHOOL IN THE MEDIUM WHICH WILL ENABLE EFFECTIVE COGNITIVE AND ACADEMIC DEVELOPMENT TO TAKE PLACE, HE STRESSED.
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MR CHAN EXPLAINED THAT THE TEACHING OF CHINESE AND ENGLISH AS SUBJECTS SHOULD DIRECTLY SUPPORT THE USE OF CHINESE OR ENGLISH AS MEDIUMS OF INSTRUCTION, AND THAT THE STUDENTS SHOULD BE ASSISTED то SWITCH FROM CHINESE TO ENGLISH AS MEDIUMS OF INSTRUCTION, AT VARIOUS STAGES IN THE EDUCATION SYSTEM.
THE ASSISTANCE, HE SAID, WOULD INCLUDE VARIOUS KINDS OF "BRIDGING" AND INTENSIVE COURSES, AND OTHER FORMS OF LANGUAGE ENHANCEMENT.
EARLIER, THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION, MR LI YUET-TING, SAID ALTHOUGH THE CHINESE AND ENGLISH LANGUAGES WERE VERY DIFFERENT, IT WAS IMPORTANT THAT THEY BE CONSIDERED TOGETHER IN THE PARTICULAR HONG KONG MILIEU, AND IN THE CONTEXT OF THE CURRICULUM AS A WHOLE.
"INDEED, THE GOVERNMENT IS CONVINCED THAT IF HONG KONG IS TO CONTINUE TO RETAIN ITS POSITION AS A LEADING INTERNATIONAL CENTRE OF FINANCE, TRADE AND INDUSTRY, BILINGUALISM IS ESSENTIAL," HE STRESSED.
MR LI WELCOMED THE MANY DISTINGUISHED SPEAKERS AND PARTICIPANTS FROM OVERSEAS, AND GUESTS FROM THE WORLD OF DIPLOMACY AND COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY WHO ATTENDED THE OPENING CEREMONY.
THERE ARE NEARLY 400 PARTICIPANTS AT THE THREE-DAY CONFERENCE AND PLENARY SESSIONS, WITH MORE THAN 100 OF THEM HONG KONG TEACHERS.
AMONG THE TOPICS TO BE DISCUSSED DURING THE PLENARY SESSIONS AND WORKSHOPS WILL BE :
THE CONCEPT OF QUALITY IN LANGUAGE TEACHING AND LANGUAGE USE;
LEARNING, LANGUAGE
QUALITY IN