Reply:
(c)
Mr President,
(a)
11 -
(iv) the respective numbers of English language teachers in primary and secondary schools who have not received specialised language training; and
whether the Government will provide training for teachers who fail the benchmark assessment test so as to enable them to attain the required standard?
We plan to conduct a pilot language benchmark exercise in 1997/98. The pilot exercise will involve about 1,200 teachers in the following three categories for whom tentative benchmarks have already been developed:
teachers of English in lower secondary levels;
primary school teachers using Chinese as the medium of instruction; and
primary school teachers of Putonghua.
"Benchmark" refers to minimum acceptable language proficiency standard for effective teaching of various subjects, including language subjects.
The aim of the pilot exercise is to finalise the tentative benchmarks developed, assess re-training needs, consider if certain exemption criteria should be established and to work out a detailed plan for full implementation.
Teachers participating in the pilot exercise will go through an assessment, which will include written and oral language proficiency examinations as well as classroom language observation. In view of the time required to develop the oral and written examination papers, we aim to conduct the pilot written and oral examinations in the second quarter of 1998. The classroom language observation will start earlier, in the first quarter of 1998, and will be completed by the third quarter of the same year.