They consider government-directed decision on classroom language unfair because it creates a Chinese-English divide
Educators called on the government to give schools more autonomy to decide their medium of instruction (MOI) as the Education Commission this week launched a one-year review of the secondary places allocation mechanism and language policy.
The suggestion aims at blurring the divide between Chinese and English-medium schools by allowing them to use both languages to teach as long as they meet students' needs and there is no mixed code - the mixing of the languages at the same time.
This would reduce pressure on parents to get children into English-medium secondary schools, according to Tai Hay-lap, a commission member and one of the key proponents of mother-tongue education. 'No matter how sophisticated the allocation mechanism is, there is some degree of mismatch as not all students in EMI schools are suitable to be taught in English,' he said. Some who were capable of learning in English had been allocated to Chinese-medium schools.
Mr Tai said English and Chinese-medium schools should be allowed to teach a small number of classes in Chinese and English respectively. Depending on needs, the schools could also opt to use different mediums of instruction in separate subjects or for students at different levels.
The suggestion was first raised by the former Board of Education and Standing Committee on Language Education and Research (Scolar) three years ago.
In 1998, the government launched the controversial MOI policy that required all but 114 secondary schools switch from English to mother-tongue instruction. But the Chinese-medium schools have been allowed to revert to English for Form Four and above.