XN000022-1987-01-21 — Page 9

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 1987

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STRENGTHEN PUTONG HUA TEACHING IN SCHOOLS

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THE TEACHING OF PUTONGHUA IN SCHOOLS SHOULD BE STRENGTHENED WITH A VIEW TO CHANGING THE MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION FROM CANTONESE TO PUTONG HUA GRADUALLY, AT AN APPROPRIATE TIME, PROFESSOR THE

HON POON CHUNG-KWONG SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

SPEAKING IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL DURING THE ADJOURNMENT DEBATE ON THE EDUCATION COMMISSION REPORT NO. 2, PROF POON SAID THE CONTINUED AND EXCLUSIVE USE OF CANTONESE AS THE MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION WOULD CREATE COMMUNICATION PROBLEMS WITH CHINA WHEN HONG KONG BECAME A SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION.

+A CHANGE FROM CANTONESE TO PUTONG HUA AS THE MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION WOULD NOT BE AS DIFFICULT AS A CHANGE FROM CANTONESE TO ENGLISH OR ENGLISH TO CANTONESE BECAUSE THERE IS ONLY ONE KIND OF WRITTEN CHINESE, PROF POON SAID.

HE WELCOMED THE RECOMMENDATION IN THE EDUCATION COMMISSION REPORT NO. 2 THAT ADDITIONAL CHINESE TEACHERS SHOULD BE PROVIDED.

+MY ONLY REGRET IS THAT THE COMMISSION HAS NOT MADE ADEQUATE RECOMMENDATIONS RELATING TO THE USE OF PUTONGHAU IN SCHOOLS,+ HE SAID.

PROF POON ALSO SAID THAT WHILE THE USE OF CHINESE, LEADING TO PUTONG HUA, SHOULD BE STRENGTHENED, A PROPER USE OF ENGLISH WAS ALSO NECESSARY.

HE SAID HE WAS GLAD THAT ADEQUATE STEPS WERE BEING TAKEN TO STRENGTHEN ENGLISH TEACHING IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS.

THIS SHOULD BE OF HELP AS ONE OF THE FACTORS IN ENSURING THAT HONG KONG RETAINED ITS STATUS AS AN INTERNATIONAL TRADING CENTRE AND AS A MEETING POINT FOR EAST AND WEST.

TURNING TO SPECIAL EDUCATION, PROF POON SAID HE WAS PLEASED TO SEE PROPOSALS FOR IMPROVEMENT OF THE EXISTING IN-SERVICE TRAINING COURSES RUN BY THE SPECIAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF SIR ROBERT BLACK COLLEGE OF EDUCATION.

+ IN THIS CONNECTION, I WOULD LIKE TO EMPHASISE THAT BLOCK- RELEASE OF TRAINEE TEACHERS MIGHT NOT BE A PRACTICAL PROPOSAL IN VIEW OF THE SHORTAGE OF TEACHERS IN THE FIELD, HE SAID.

HE SAID PART-TIME TRAINING COURSES MIGHT BE MORE APPROPRIATE.

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