XN000022-1993-06-04 — Page 12

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FRIDAY, JUNE 4, 1993

REVISED MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION GROUPING ASSESSMENT ANNOUNCED

**

THE

EDUCATION DEPARTMENT WILL INTRODUCE A REVISED METHOD OF MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION GROUPING ASSESSMENT TO REPLACE THE SECURE HONG KONG ATTAINMENT TESTS DUE TO BE HELD IN DECEMBER THIS YEAR.

THE NEW METHOD HAS BEEN ENDORSED BY THE EDUCATION

RECENTLY.

COMMISSION

5

ANNOUNCING THIS TODAY, THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION, MR DOMINIC W WONG, SAID: THE CONTINUOUS INTERNAL ASSESSMENTS SUBMITTED FOR THE SECONDARY SCHOOL PLACES ALLOCATION WILL BE USED INSTEAD.

THE INTERNAL

GROUPS:

ASSESSMENTS WILL BE DIVIDED INTO TWO SUBJECT

* A CHINESE GROUP COMPRISING ALL SUBJECTS TAUGHT AND EXAMINED

IN THE CHINESE MEDIUM; AND

AN ENGLISH GROUP COMPRISING ALL SUBJECTS TAUGHT AND EXAMINED IN THE ENGLISH MEDIUM.

"CULTURAL SUBJECTS, WHICH ARE NOT EXCLUDED FROM THE ASSESSMENTS.

LANGUAGE-LOADED,

WILL BE

"FOR THE MAJORITY OF PRIMARY PUPILS IN HONG KONG, THE ENGLISH GROUP WILL CONSIST OF A SINGLE SUBJECT: ENGLISH LANGUAGE; WHILE THE CHINESE GROUP WILL CONSIST OF CHINESE LANGUAGE AND ALL OTHER NON- CULTURAL SUBJECTS, HE ADDED.

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"TO ACHIEVE COMPARABILITY ACROSS THE TERRITORY, THE INTERNAL ASSESSMENTS WILL BE SCALED BY THE ACADEMIC APTITUDE TEST IN THE USUAL MANNER," HE EXPLAINED.

THE NEW METHOD WILL BE ADOPTED FOR ENTRY TO SECONDARY 1 SEPTEMBER 1994.

IN

THE MAIN ADVANTAGES OF THE REVISED METHOD INCLUDE:

ADOPTING AN ASSESSMENT METHOD WHICH IS ALREADY FAMILIAR то SCHOOLS AND PUPILS;

RETAINING THE SPIRIT OF OBJECTIVE ASSESSMENT;

REMOVING THE BURDEN OF AN ADDITIONAL EXTERNAL EXAMINATION AND REMOVING THE PSYCHOLOGICAL PRESSURE ON PUPILS;

PRESERVING THE INTEGRITY OF THE PRIMARY SCHOOL CURRICULUM AS IT WOULD BE FUTILE TO DRILL PUPILS IN ENGLISH AND CHINESE LANGUAGES ONLY SINCE ALL THE ACADEMIC SUBJECTS IN THE CURRICULUM ARE COVERED IN THE TWO SUBJECT GROUPS WHICH EQUALLY IMPORTANT IN THE ASSESSMENT; AND

ARE

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NO ADDITIONAL