HKIEd deserves and needs status upgrade
I am writing in response to the article 'Call for urgent action on HKIEd status' (Education Post, November 19). Staff and students request that the name of 'institute' be changed to 'university', with the authorities saying no. I am on the side of the institute, and there are reasons for 'upgrading' it.
First, it deserves the name university. As it gained self-accrediting status in 2004, which means it can start running courses without the permission of the government, it has proved to have the same ability as other universities with degree programmes. Also, in terms of size, it is even larger than City University.
To say that 'because it has only one subject area it cannot be a university' is incorrect. In Beijing, there is the Beijing Normal University, which concentrates on training the teaching profession as well.
Also, the name institute discourages students from applying to join it because principals treat graduates from HKIEd at a lower grade. This is a loss to the society.
HKIEd's courses, for example the postgraduate diploma in education (primary) programme - Chinese, not only talk about the subject, but also concentrate on teaching methods.