Closer attention must be paid to the educational needs of new immigrant students, according to a professor from the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CU).
Educational administration and policy professor Chung Yue-ping said he was astonished that the Review of Nine-year Compulsory Education had failed to evaluate the impact of the massive influx of Chinese immigrants into Hong Kong.
More than 10,000 Chinese immigrants between the ages of six and 15 years arrived in the territory each year, he said.
A report on the two-year review was released in March. Professor Chung made the comments at a conference at CU which addressed the findings.
'According to the report, compulsory education means every ordinary child [of society] should receive education in a certain period of time,' Professor Chung said.
'Who are these 'ordinary children'? Normally, in a modern society, all resident children - legal and illegal - are entitled to compulsory education.' Professor Chung said at least 10 more primary and secondary schools needed to be built each year to accommodate the new immigrants. It was not just a matter of providing money to establish the schools, but it was also necessary to have them completed in time.