It was one of the most bitter internal rows the post-handover administration has experienced. Tung Chee-hwa was furious that the phased introduction of mother-tongue teaching had led parents to treat those schools forced to switch to Chinese as inferior to those allowed to continue teaching in English.
This was embarrassing for the Chief Executive, given his repeated exhortations on the importance of Chinese culture and the need to strengthen the community's sense of Chinese identity. At a private meeting, he gave vent to these frustrations and lambasted the official responsible for administering the policy, Secretary for Education and Manpower Joseph Wong Wing-ping.
As the hapless Mr Wong squirmed in his seat, Mr Tung blamed the fact that Chinese schools were now seen as second-rate on the policy being implemented in the wrong way. Ever loyal to her subordinates, Chief Secretary for Administration Anson Chan Fang On-sang leapt to Mr Wong's defence.
She retorted that the education and manpower chief was only doing his job, and that the phased introduction of mother-tongue teaching was agreed government policy. As the other officials present kept their heads down, the meeting degenerated into a argument between the Chief Executive and his deputy.
The issue remained unresolved as the meeting broke up. But when Mr Tung later answered questions from provisional legislators, he made no attempt to hide his continuing dissatisfaction. While lavishing praise on the use of mother-tongue education, the Chief Executive made little attempt to defend the phased approach his administration has adopted - under which 114 secondary-schools can continue teaching in English for at least the next three years.
Instead, Mr Tung stressed he wanted all schools to switch to Chinese, and hinted that this might happen as soon as the three-year grace period is over. As is shown by this episode, which took place some months ago, the divisions which the mother-tongue teaching debate have generated in the community are mirrored within the administration.
Part of the problem is that a policy which should be solely about how to educate Hong Kong children better has become mixed up with other considerations.