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- Mar 3, 2013
- Updated: 7:34pm
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English Schools Foundation
The English Schools Foundation (ESF) operates five secondary schools, nine primary schools and a school for students with special educational needs across Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the New Territories. It is the largest international educational foundation in Asia and was established in 1967 by the Hong Kong Government to provide a seamless, affordable English language education. The curriculum, based on the British system which has now introduced the International Baccalaureate (IB), is adapted to Hong Kong and the Asia Pacific region. ESF schools, which currently teach 13,000 students, receive a subsidy from the Hong Kong Government but also charge tuition fees to parents.
'Educational apartheid' hitting expats
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Huangpu is a district of pigeon fanciers and the skies over Shanghai have seen birds racing back to their coops for the best part of a century. Words and pictures by Jonathan Browning.
I refer to Pierce Lam's letter ("ESF admission policy smacks of segregation", February 19).
I agree with Mr Lam's argument about segregation in Hong Kong's education system, and would even go so far as saying that this city is currently plagued by an "educational apartheid".
I share his view that the practice of offering two segregated systems of subsidised English-medium education - one for Chinese and the other for non-Chinese - is long out of date and no longer relevant in post-colonial Hong Kong.
I wish to add that, instead, we should have a "one size fits all" subsidised education system - one that accommodates everyone, whether it be local Chinese, mainland Chinese, Westerners, ethnic minorities or other foreign expatriates.
Mr Lam insists that we must respect our local schools, and further states that in Asian countries like Japan, expatriates who want public education for their children have to send them to local schools.
He even boasts about Hong Kong's local schools supposedly being "superior" to schools in Japan and in most of our expatriates' home countries.
I would like to ask Mr Lam one question. If our local schools really are so superior to schools in other places, why are we seeing so few non-Chinese members of our society sending their children to these schools?
One answer to that I can give is that local schools are reluctant to take on non-Chinese or non-Cantonese speaking children.
On the one hand, Mr Lam criticises the English Schools Foundation for promoting educational segregation, but on the other hand, he fails to acknowledge the local schools' contribution to this dilemma. So, because of this, the choice given to the city's expatriates is loud and clear: extortionate international schools, the ESF, or leave Hong Kong.
As many of us are aware, due to limited places at international and ESF schools, many expats are left with only the third choice.
As your correspondent correctly points out, we hear about expats in other cities in the region sending their children to local schools with seemingly little trouble.
I'm sure that this is another reason why many foreigners are leaving Hong Kong, as they search elsewhere in the region for better schooling opportunities for their children.
If this city is supposedly Asia's world city, why is our "superior" education system failing to adopt a similar approach to those of other parts of the world?
Andrew Nunn, Tai Po
After reading this article, people also read
4:35pm
pslhk Feb 22nd 2013
8:19am
bmr, thanks for the discussion
My reply will be brief because (a) I’ll have a meeting this morning (b) nothing requires urgent resolution.
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Declaration of self-interest: I’m half Cantonese; children speak Cantonese, Mandarin, English and another foreign language. There is no question of being linguistically “Chinese” chauvinistic. Nothing in your arguments is unanticipated. English being a common medium of communication is well recognized. As Peter Lok, former aviation head noted, English is spoken in Airbus Industrie.
Proportionality is the issue.
The colonial practice of segregated language education is disgusting and should be criminalized.
pslhk Feb 22nd 2013
12:20pm
What's in a name?
At wit's end, piteously name calling is your last trick
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I don't feel your hate-the-white-man feeling in Pierce Lam's letter
which is certainly your own
I do recognize that he despises dumb and loud trash regardless of color; and of course, white trash sympathises with white trash
7:33am
****www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/200105/03/0503132.htm
Speech by Secretary Education Manpower South Island School Awards Ceremony
Following is a speech by the Secretary for Education and Manpower, Mrs **** Law, at the Awards Ceremony of South Island School today (May 3):
Good afternoon, Mr Shroff, Ms Wisker, Mr Evans, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, Maybe I should start with a declaration of interests. As the Secretary for Education and Manpower, I naturally maintain a keen professional interest in all schools in Hong Kong. But I must confess that, as the mother of two of your alumni, I have always had special affection for South Island School. Randolph and Boniface have many happy memories of their school days here. Knowing that I will be with you today, they have asked me to convey their warm wishes to you all. In particular, Boni has asked me to pass on his regards to his friends who are present today........
2:12am
When I call someone a "hate-China moron," I can document the hate sentiments from his words. Moron is applied to a person highly deficient in reason and logic.
There is plenty of evidence that "racist" name calling in these pages is a Freudian projection, that is, those calling someone by this name is likely a racist or a bigot himself.
How do you find illogicalities in writings? I am afraid the racist name callers in this column don't have a clue.
Unfortunately in the Democracy religion, we have an entitlement for free speech for hate-China morons who bow wow "racist" at reason, logic and facts.
8:32pm
“I share (Pierce LAM’s) view that the practice of offering two segregated systems of subsidised English-medium education - one for Chinese and the other for non-Chinese - is long out of date and no longer relevant in post-colonial Hong Kong.”
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bmr (01mar)
really it comes down to racism and money…
This idea of heavily subsidizing foreign education is a major colonial hangover.
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whymak (02 MAR)
Pierce Lam’s remark on education apartheid is most appropriate
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pslhk
* unicef CRC (Article 2) prohibits the kind of language discrimination which ESF shamelessly flaunts in it admission policy (01MAR)
* there should be no public subsidies for ESF schools until they comply with
a) HKBoR (Art 1) and unicef CRC (Art 2) prohibition against linguistic discrimination, and
b) the Hague Recommendations Regarding the Education Rights of National Minorities requiring minorities to integrate with local community
thru the acquisition of the state language (02MAR)
* resallen is still evading the relevant and material statistics which I repeated in my (01MAR) comments that have disappeared from SCMP’s webpage. If I find them, I’d post them again on Monday. Not for resallen who is hopeless but for exposing again her bigotry.
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enough social service
now ... personal time
6:21pm
the howlings,
expressing feelings so strong, and hatred so blatant
totally ad hominem
against evidence based arguments
which they know not how to respond intelligently
too rabid and too uneducated
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What may I do about rabies dogs?
Pity? Not really.
Laugh ? A bid unkind
Indifference
Fools like that help me understand differences
why the inquisition, why the conquisitors, why the Opium Wars
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They care only about their interests
which if they perceive threatened, they’ll do what they can
I’m interested in reasons and discussions.
They're obssessed with selfish privileges.
I shouldn’t waste my time with these (what’re they?)
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Henceforth in debates,
I'd treat them as what they deserve, non-existent.
These aren't my equals
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These (what’re they?) won’t in any slightest way
diminish my enjoyment of a pleasant weekend
and my continued interest in writing my opinions
4:07pm
Asia has its Nazis as well.
1:36am
Given your hatred of Chinese, why do you want to live among these disgusting people? My advice is that before you could do a lot of harm to others and yourself, you should check into a psychiatric ward as soon as possible.
2:25pm
It is a lie to suggest that ESF schools are populated by foreign students here for brief visits and sponging off the government. 70% of ESF students are permanent residents of Hong Kong. 44% of ESF students are ethnically Chinese, 21% are ethnically Caucasian. There is no educational apartheid in this city, and why a supposedly reputable newspaper continues to give a platform to Lam's racist ravings is beyond me. He is ignorant, offensive, factually incorrect and dishonest.
11:34am
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You should republish more of Mr. LAM’s past expositions
I consider them fair and see no inconsistence across the years
Your purpose is to postulate a relation
Next you may look under bed
then the carpet and down the toilet
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The malodor can only be from you because of your operations and prejudice
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Won’t care less whether you’re an armchair archivist
and professional spy, or vise versa
But 2008, pslhk and PIERCE LAM ?
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Cowards who dare not face facts and arguments
turn to focus on speakers and writers
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Mr LAM should look you up
if he wishes to collate his past letters for an anthology
and invite HdQ to write a graceful preface
