XN000022-1994-10-19 — Page 12

REPLY:

10

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 1994

(D)

WHETHER IT WILL CONSIDER DISCLOSING THE INFORMATION IN (C) ABOVE IN RESPECT OF EACH SECONDARY SCHOOL SO AS TO ENABLE PARENTS TO MAKE THE APPROPRIATE DECISION WHEN THEY ARE CHOOSING SECONDARY SCHOOLS FOR THEIR CHILDREN, AND TO ENSURE THAT THE PARENTS' RIGHT TO KNOW WILL NOT BE INFRINGED AND THAT THE CHILDREN'S STUDYING NEEDS WILL NOT BE AFFECTED BY THE WITHHOLDING OF SUCH INFORMATION?

MR PRESIDENT,

(A)

SIX

NEW SECONDARY SCHOOLS (INCLUDING TWO PREVOCATIONAL SCHOOLS) COMMENCED OPERATION IN SEPTEMBER 1994. FOUR OF THEM HAVE CHOSEN ENGLISH AS THE MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION FOR THEIR SECONDARY CLASSES, WHILE THE OTHER TWO HAVE CHOSEN CHINESE OR ENGLISH ON A SUBJECT BASIS AS APPROPRIATE. THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT WILL SOON COMPILE THE LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY PROFILES OF THESE SCHOOLS' SECONDARY 1 INTAKES AND BASED ON SUCH PROFILES, ADVISE THE SCHOOLS ON THE APPROPRIATE MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION TO ADOPT IN SEPTEMBER 1995.

(B) OF THE 25 PREVOCATIONAL SCHOOLS IN HONG KONG, 17 HAVE CHOSEN CHINESE AND ONE HAS CHOSEN ENGLISH AS THE TEACHING MEDIUM. THE REMAINING SEVEN SCHOOLS HAVE CHOSEN CHINESE OR ENGLISH ON A SUBJECT BASIS. THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT WILL CONTINUE TO ENCOURAGE SCHOOLS WHICH HAVE A RELATIVELY HIGHER PROPORTION OF STUDENTS WITH LOWER ACADEMIC STANDARDS TO ADOPT MOTHER-TONGUE AS THE TEACHING MEDIUM THROUGH

THE ORGANIZATION OF SEMINARS FOR SCHOOL PRINCIPALS ON THE BENEFITS OF MOTHER TONGUE TEACHING;

(I)

(II)

DISTRIBUTION OF LEAFLETS TO PARENTS, BENEFITS OF MOTHER-TONGUE TEACHING;

PUBLICISING THE

(III)

CHECKING THROUGH SCHOOL INSPECTIONS ON THE MEDIUM OF TEACHING ACTUALLY ADOPTED AS COMPARED WITH THAT RECOMMENDED BY THE DEPARTMENT; AND

(IV)

THE MAKING OF REGULAR VISITS TO SCHOOLS TO PERSUADE THEM TO USE THE APPROPRIATE MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION.

IN ADDITION, THE DEPARTMENT IS COMMENCING AN EVALUATION STUDY TO MONITOR THE LEARNING PROCESS OF STUDENTS OVER THE THREE SCHOOL YEARS FROM 1994-95 TO 1996-97. THE STUDY WILL BE COMPLETED BY EARLY 1997 AND THE EVALUATION RESULTS WILL ENABLE THE DEPARTMENT ΤΟ GIVE FIRM GUIDANCE TO ALL SCHOOLS IN SEPTEMBER 1997 ON THE APPROPRIATE TEACHING MEDIUM TO ADOPT AS FROM SEPTEMBER 1998.

/(c) IN THE