TNAG-1073-FCO40-1323-Policy-of-the-Government-of-Hong-Kong-on-education-including-1981 — Page 354

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explained in chapter 2) the use of language as the medium of instruction

in schools. There is a growing belief that the approach to language

teaching is in need of radical reform. The teaching of Chinese,

particularly in secondary schools, has in many cases developed into a

loosely formulated programme of language, literature, history and

philosophy of limited value for those pupils of restricted academic

ability who would clearly benefit more if the teacher were to concentrate

on basic communication skills in the mother tongue. This is not to

denigrate the considerable value to be derived from the formal study of

language and literature (particularly when taught with imagination and

sympathy): but the Education Department believes that this must co-exist

with a more practical approach, especially in junior secondary forms.

curriculum has been redeveloped to accord with this view, the Department

has actively promoted the new approach, especially by means of initial and

in-service teacher training, and the Hong Kong Certificate of Education

Examination now offers Chinese language and literature as two separate

subjects, in place of the combined subject of former years. Nevertheless,

traditional attitudes to the teaching of Chinese die hard and progress is

slow. It is also widely considered that the teaching of English is not

yielding results commensurate with the considerable time and effort spent

on it. The government has therefore approved proposals designed by means

of a group of co-ordinated measures to raise the standard of both languages

in schools and thereby facilitate bilingualism. An Institute of Language

in Education is to be established, to bring about improvements in language teaching and learning (with particular emphasis on the training of language

teachers), together with a Chinese Language Foundation, which will be

responsible, among other things, for the production of lively publications

in Chinese (of which there is at present a dearth) to enhance the teaching

of that subject. Other related measures include the development of remedial

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