Hong Kong parents angry after being barred from meeting to discuss controversial assessment exam

The education authorities yesterday promised to collect opinions from more parents on a controversial city-wide exam, after concerned parents expressed anger about being shut out of a closed-door meeting to discuss the issue.

This came ahead of a Legislative Council public hearing on the Territory-wide System Assessment today, which education minister Eddie Ng Hak-kim had said he would not attend because of a previously arranged out-of-town trip for personal reasons.

Over 130 parents who oppose the exam and want it scrapped for Primary Three children are expected to voice their concerns at the hearing. Critics suspect that the bureau arranged the closed-door meeting - to which only a few parents were invited - to collect biased opinions to counter those of opponents.

Undersecretary for Education Kevin Yeung Yun-hung said yesterday that staff members collected contacts from parents who were barred from the meeting on Friday evening and that the bureau would contact them and listen to their opinions later.

The exam was introduced in 2004 to assess Primary Three, Primary Six and Form Three pupils' basic knowledge in Chinese, English and mathematics. But the exams have been heavily criticised for leading to drilling and excessive homework.

"We regret that [Ng] refused to attend [the] hearing," said Fung Wai-wah, president of the Professional Teachers' Union. He said the bureau appeared to be trying to "hastily collect" opinions in favour of the exam before the hearing.