Hong Kong parents, teachers and pupils grill officials over exam pressure
Education officials will investigate educators' claims that they are subject to pressure from the bureau to deliver results in a controversial city-wide exam for pupils after they got a day-long grilling from over a hundred members of the public.
The pledge came during a special Legislative Council hearing over the controversial Territory-wide System Assessment.
"I already have so much homework on most days, and now with the exam, I basically have no time for play … or any time to do sport," said primary three student Hung Ngai-yam at the hearing. "I hope all you adults do something to change [this]."
Hung and fellow primary three student, Poon Long-kiu, were the youngest people speaking at Legco in history; the record had been held by student activist Joshua Wong Chi-fung, who spoke there when he was 14.
The two students were among some 130 individuals to testify, including parents, educators and schoolchildren. Nearly all of them voiced strong opposition to the exam. Around a hundred others rallied outside the chamber.
Eyebrows were raised when primary four pupil Kitty Chan gave a three-minute speech arguing for TSA and how it made her happy. "I'm most happy when I finish the test and they don't give me the results back for corrections. I have more time to play."
But League of Social Democrats lawmaker Leung Kwok-hung pointed out that her father, sitting right beside her, was DAB deputy spokesman Danny Chan Chung-cheung.
Chan later admitted that he had written the speech for his daughter but was proud of her “independent thought" and courage in speaking her mind.
Introduced in 2004 to assess Primary Three, Six and Form Three pupils in Chinese, English and maths, the exams were criticised for leading to drilling and excessive homework.
Primary school principal Fung Pik-yee said her school had faced "government pressure" to perform, but refused to engage in drilling, saying it was unfair to pass on the pressure to students.
"The source of all this pressure is the Education Bureau," said Fung. "They'll say the school is not doing well compared to other schools."
In the hot seat for his boss Eddie Ng Hak-kim, who was out of town for "personal reasons", acting education secretary Kevin Yeung Yun-hung said it was his first time hearing this from a school. If true, he said the issue was serious, unacceptable and would be investigated.
Parents said the tests put young children under immense pressure and took time away from social activities and their families. Concerns were raised over their mental well-being.
"Children are crying for help," parent Tong Chung-yee told officials. "[Ng] is on holiday now but does he know students barely have time for real holidays?"
Parent Ho Nga-lai said the bureau should remember children were not tools for "cold data".
She chided pro-establishment lawmakers who did not back a rejected motion tabled last week by lawmaker Albert Chan Wai-yip to abolish the exam.
Yeung acknowledged there were issues with the exam and said if the pressure affected mental health and family relationships, his bureau "had a responsibility" to take corrective action.
A three-month review is due to conclude in February and the government would take into account all suggestions, including shelving the exam, Yeung said.
