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Education

Elements of the Basic Law have long been incorporated into the curricula and learning activities of primary and secondary schools. These include General Studies at the primary level, Life and Society at the junior secondary level, Liberal Studies at the senior secondary level, and Chinese History and History at both junior and senior secondary levels.

Language Education

The Standing Committee on Language Education and Research advises the government on language education issues and on the use of the Language Fund as well as the policy and procedures governing its operation. The fund supports initiatives to improve proficiency in Chinese and English, including Putonghua.

The government's language education policy is to train the younger generation to become biliterate in written Chinese and English and trilingual in Cantonese, Putonghua and spoken English.

At the same time, the government believes students should undertake their general education in a language that is not itself a barrier to learning. The government's policy on medium of instruction is therefore to uphold mother-tongue teaching while enhancing students' proficiency in both Chinese and English. Public-sector primary schools generally teach in Chinese. Public-sector secondary schools can increase junior secondary students' opportunities for exposure to, and use of, English, taking into account their ability and desire to learn in English, teachers' capability and readiness to teach in English, and school support measures to facilitate learning in English. At the senior secondary level, schools can select either Chinese or English as the medium of instruction on a subject basis, depending on the school context and the readiness and capabilities of both teachers and students.

In line with the policy goal on medium of instruction, schools are encouraged to adopt strategies such as creating a rich and motivating environment conducive to language learning, strengthening students' ability to 'learn to read' (i.e. learning to read independently) and to 'read to learn' (i.e. learning to read extensively and acquire knowledge) in both Chinese and English, and promoting language across the curriculum. Schools are also encouraged to provide students with opportunities to read and write across the curriculum through the use of printed and multimodal texts to motivate students, broaden their knowledge and help them relate the language to different subjects.

Native English-speaking Teacher Scheme

There are more than 400 Native English-speaking Teachers (NETs) working in secondary schools and over 450 NETS in primary schools. They collaborate with local English teachers to enhance teaching and make English learning experiences more authentic and engaging for students. They help create a rich English language environment and promote the use of innovative teaching strategies. The scheme has brought about positive changes in classroom practice and students have shown a more positive attitude towards learning English.

Non-Chinese-speaking Students

The government is committed to encouraging and supporting early integration of non- Chinese-speaking (NCS) students into the community, including facilitating their adaptation to the local education system and mastery of the Chinese language. The Chinese Language

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