TNAG-0473-FCO40-538-Hong-Kong-government-policy-on-education-1974 — Page 119

G.F. 323

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2.13

ANNEX A TO XCC(74)69A

Language of Instruction

In the past Secondary Education has been

conducted mainly through the medium of English.

Now

that it is intended to make Secondary Education in Form I

III available to all, it is necessary to review this

practice. On educational grounds there are strong

arguments for maintaining that the medium of instruction

for children aged 12-14 should be Chinese.

are other considerations.

However, there

Hong Kong is a commercial and

industrial centre which has reached a high level of

It is

technical and professional sophistication and established

close contacts all over the world. If students wish to

enter commerce or industry with reasonable prospects,

It is also a a good knowledge of English is essential.

pre-requisite for obtaining the necessary qualifications

in virtually all technical and professional fields.

undeniable that Hong Kong, if it is to maintain its

progress, will continue to need leaders who are

thoroughly at home in English as well as in Chinese.

for these practical reasons, the standards of Chinese

and English must be maintained, and indeed, if possible,

improved. These considerations suggest the need for a

balanced approach.

2.14

It is the Government's intention that

individual school authorities should themselves decide

whether the medium of instruction should be English

or Chinese for any particular subject in the junior

Thus

/secondary

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