DEMOCRACY IS NEVER easily won, and this is proving to be the case in Hong Kong's schools. There is little parents can do to influence major issues affecting the education of their children, as most schools are run, more or less, as an autocracy. Even trivial matters, such as the bizarre rule on some schools banning girls from wearing trousers unless the temperature drops below 10 degrees Celsius, cannot be changed at the will of parents.
Unlike most countries in the West, parents have neither a say on how their children's schools should be managed, nor access to information such as account books or hiring policies.
But this could all be about to change. In February, the Government finally came up with a proposal to allow schools to function as more transparent and accountable bodies.
Opportunities for parent participation are very limited. All parents can do is to join a parent-teacher association, which merely has an advisory role.
Parents have been repeatedly frustrated by alleged conflicts of interests among head teachers and senior management officers appointed by school sponsors.
There was uproar last year when Education Department records showed about 140 members of school management committees, the highest authority in a school, were aged over 80, and 22 over 90. About 94 members also managed 10 schools or more, with five managing 50 or more schools.
