Update | Chinese as a second language to be taught to ethnic minority pupils
Chinese to be taught as a second language, with funds for teacher training and course materials
Schools will begin teaching Chinese as a second language for ethnic minority pupils from the start of the next academic year, the chief executive announced. Schools will be provided some HK$200 million to support teaching minority children in the first year.
Teachers will be given professional training to implement the new curriculum, for which teaching materials and assessment tools will be developed.
Schools already admitting such children will receive a greater share of the funding.
Schools would adopt new methods - such as multi-age classes - in an effort to ease ethnic minority pupils into "mainstream Chinese-language classes", Leung Chun-ying said.
An applied Chinese-language subject will also be introduced in phases for pupils at senior secondary level from September. Pupils studying the subject will earn a qualification which the government will ensure is recognised by employers and for the pursuit of further studies.
The aim is for ethnic minority children to eventually sit Chinese-language exams under the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education alongside their Chinese colleagues.
"[Ethnic minority people] have difficulty integrating fully into the community …," Leung said. "Most South Asian ethnic minority residents call Hong Kong home … they must improve their ability to understand, speak, read and write Chinese."