TNAG-1073-FCO40-1323-Policy-of-the-Government-of-Hong-Kong-on-education-including-1981 — Page 47

Primary school staff

5.17

No consideration of staffing needs in primary schools is possible until the question of the size of primary classes has been resolved. For some years there has been considerable discontent with the chalk, talk and textbook style of education practised in many Hong Kong primary schools and it is felt that the reluctance to depart from this practice is to some extent connected with class size.

5.18

In Chapter 4 it was pointed out that in order to adopt the 'learning by doing' approach it was usual to split the class into small groups and that for this a class size of 35 was necessary and was in fact recommended for implementation.

5.19

However, whatever teaching style is adopted, very large classes make it difficult to teach effectively. Some of the activities inhibited by large classes include:

(a) teachers getting to know individual children;

(b) promoting informal discussions in groups;

(c)

coping with wide ranges of ability;

(d)

giving children an opportunity to be heard;

(e)

encouraging pupils' active participation in the lessons;

(f) keeping adequate progress records;

(g) effectively marking pupils' work. (This

encourages teachers to set easily marked work, usually of a factual nature, based on rote learning.)

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Large classes also lead to the need for undesirably strict discipline to be maintained.

5.20

However, in spite of these disadvantages, it is difficult in the present economic circumstances of Hong Kong to justify a class of only 35 unless the school adopts a fully pupil-orientated approach such as the 'learning by doing' approach. It is therefore recommended that other than in schools adopting such an approach the class size should be 40.

5.21

While recommending class sizes of 35 or 40 depending on the teaching techniques adopted it is considered that the legal limit of 45 should be retained because of the flexibility it permits. The control in the public sector should be exercised by means of the entry procedures.

Teacher training

5.22

The majority of teachers in Government and aided primary schools are non-graduates who have received professional training at the Colleges of

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