Hong Kong yesterday unveiled a proposal that would give schools the option of switching back to teaching in English, 11 years after a “mother-tongue” policy ordered them to teach in Chinese.
The plan, unveiled by Hong Kong Education Secretary Michael Suen (孫明揚) yesterday, is aimed at improving English-language standards that have fallen since Hong Kong ceased to be a British colony in 1997.
If approved, it would give schools the option as of September next year to teach in English in classes where more than 85 percent of pupils rank as high-achievers.
Other secondary schools who do not meet the requirement would have the option of using English for one quarter of lessons.
Suen told lawmakers on an education panel that the move was aimed at improving the English proficiency of students and to overcome the perception among parents that English-medium schools were better than their Chinese-language equivalents.
The move has been welcomed by teaching and schools associations who see it as a way of improving English standards in the city of 7 million.
However, some legislators expressed concern that it would have an adverse effect on the standard of other subjects for students with poor English.
The mother-tongue policy, introduced shortly after the handover when Hong Kong reverted to Chinese rule, has been blamed for falling language standards.
It has resulted in fierce competition for places in the remaining English-medium schools and a sharp rise in the number of local children applying to fee-paying international schools.
Studies have claimed English language standards have fallen and a survey of 2,000 Chinese professionals by the Polytechnic University last November found English was still rated to be the most important business language.
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