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Native English teacher scheme supports local language needs

I refer to Vaughan Rapatahana's article ("Time to retire the native English teacher scheme", June 11).

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According to the Education Bureau, the NET scheme is to "enhance the teaching of English language and increase exposure of students to English".
I refer to Vaughan Rapatahana's article ("Time to retire the native English teacher scheme", June 11).

His arguments for scrapping the Native-speaking English Teacher (NET) scheme are weak, as they contain fallacies. Moreover, he wishes to tackle the wider issue of globalisation through the rapid spread of English head-on, which is well beyond the remit of the Education Bureau.

It is false to claim that the NET scheme was established to achieve "mastery of 'standardised' English".

According to the bureau, it was to "enhance the teaching of English language and increase exposure of students to English". English language is compulsory on the curriculum, and must be taken as part of the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education.

Mr Rapatahana then goes on to claim that "we should allow local teachers to teach English bilingually".

Go into any school across Hong Kong, including English medium-of-instruction ones, and you will find teachers using the students' first language to teach English. Moreover, there is no wish from either the bureau or schools to stop this practice.

I do not know how Mr Rapatahana can claim that mainland students have better English than those in Hong Kong.

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