Government primary school principals have hit back at the Audit Commission, accusing it of not having the expertise to assess their teaching and learning after it criticised the schools for failing to meet community needs.
The audit report on primary education released last week said the role of the 41 government primary schools 'may not be entirely valid with the lapse of time and changes in circumstances'.
It stated that some of the schools had low utilisation rates, with nine not being able to attract enough Primary One applicants to fill their discretionary places.
Government primary schools were also found to be much more costly to operate compared with aided schools as their staff were employed on civil service terms and enjoyed better fringe benefits.
But government school heads said the audit team was not qualified to assess education.
'It is ridiculous and unprofessional. The Audit Commission should only be responsible for checking the bills. Assessment of our quality should be left to the Education Department,' said Ho Kwok-suen, who chairs both the Government Educational Staff Union and Education Department Consultative Committee (Staff Side).
The report states that the role of government schools is to provide a testing ground for education policy and new teaching practices. Staff from the Education Department may be deployed to the schools to acquire frontline experience. They also accommodate children who find it difficult to seek a place in the aided sector.