The estimated 10,000 teachers who took to the streets on Sunday to call for a review of the pace of education reforms constituted about one-fifth of Hong Kong's teaching force. A protest on such a scale must be taken seriously.
It was triggered by insensitive remarks by Permanent Secretary for Education Fanny Law Fan Chiu-fun, when rejecting suggestions that the reforms had anything to do with the recent suicides of two teachers. Teachers demanded that Mrs Law step down for failing to appreciate the heavy pressure that the reforms have imposed on them.
When 20 per cent of the members of any profession take to the street, a responsive government must sit up and listen. But the government need not bow to the Professional Teachers' Union's politicisation of Mrs Law's unfortunate remarks. Senior officials should be held responsible for policy failures. That is what accountability is all about. Mrs Law's comments, however, do not amount to that. She has apologised for them - and that should be sufficient.
Teachers need to realise that they are not the only ones who are unhappy with what is going on in schools. Sponsoring bodies, parents, students and employers have all spoken out against aspects of the reforms. But all agree that the school system must change to improve quality so that our next generation will have the skills to face future challenges in a competitive world.
The reforms have the right objective. Rolling them back is not an option, and sacking Mrs Law would achieve nothing except the short-term soothing of teachers' emotions.
The way in which the reforms have been implemented, however, leaves much room for improvement. Policy makers appear to have overlooked the effect of demographic changes. As a result of these changes, teachers have to upgrade their skills, schools must go through quality inspections and students sit competency assessments.
