Native English teacher scheme needs overhaul to improve effectiveness
I refer to Michael Shaw's letter ("Native English teacher scheme supports local language needs", June 17), in response to Vaughan Rapatahana's article ("Time to retire the native English teacher scheme", June 11).
Shaw refuted Rapatahana's assertion that it is a myth that Hongkongers need to be proficient in English in order to be successful. Shaw then went on to defend the native-speaking English teacher (NET) scheme as an opportunity for our next generation to be more competitive, challenging Rapatahana to put forward a better replacement for the scheme.
It is indisputable that proficiency in English is of utmost importance to Hong Kong's continued success as an international city.
Otherwise, why would our wealthy elites and middle class parents scramble to put their children in international or boarding schools at all costs?
The NET scheme is indeed regarded by many as a white elephant because it is poorly executed. The Education Bureau insists that NETs must collaborate with local teachers when teaching English, claiming that any stand-alone deployment of NETs would diminish the "desired learning outcomes" of students by undermining communication between the NET and local teachers.
My question is: do we really believe a lower-than-50 per cent pass rate in the Diploma of Secondary Education English examination in 2013 is the desired learning outcome of our students, who came straight out of the 15-year-old NET scheme?