The Language Benchmark Assessment scheme introduced by the Education and Manpower Bureau has come up against stiff opposition from teachers and the public.
Under the ground-breaking scheme, more than 18,000 English and Putonghua language teachers in primary and secondary schools will either have to sit for the benchmark test in October or attend accredited training courses.
Teachers will have to pass the test by 2005, otherwise, they will not be allowed to teach the subjects anymore.
After fierce opposition, the bureau will exempt native- speaking teachers and those who majored in English at university and took professional training courses in English teaching.
Other exemptions will also be granted to those who have passed the Advanced Level Putonghua Proficiency Test or have obtained grade B in Level Two of the National Putonghua Proficiency Test.
But new teachers must take the test this October unless they meet the exemption criteria.
However, the exemptions did not stop 6,000 teachers and their supporters from staging a mass demonstration last month calling for the scheme to be abolished.