TSA fight continues: Hong Kong principals slam education bureau for telling schools to stop drilling for exams
Two associations also call for direct dialogue with the government and suspending an upcoming administration of the controversial test
Education secretary Eddie Ng Hak-kim yesterday admitted the decision to issue a guideline to primary schools that banned them from training students for a controversial citywide examination was "too rushed" and "lacked communication".
But Ng dismissed the suggestion that such a guideline should be withdrawn, despite two associations of primary school principals jointly issuing a statement yesterday saying they were "furious" over the call.
The latest outcry stemmed from a letter the bureau issued to primary school heads on Friday instructing them to stop drilling for the Territory-wide System Assessment (TSA).
The two groups - the Aided Primary School Heads Association and the Subsidised Primary School Council - also renewed their calls to suspend the upcoming assessments for Primary Three pupils next June.
READ MORE: Schools violating policy against extra TSA drills may get written warnings, says Education Minister
In order to diffuse their anger, Ng said the bureau would meet with the groups who expressed concern as soon as possible to explain the new advice. He added the urgency of the letter was so that students could enjoy the holiday period.
"Since parents were expressing concerns about the TSA putting pressure on their children, the bureau could not shrug off its responsibility [in issuing the guideline]," he said.
But he admitted the way the bureau issued the letter, without communicating with the schools, was "not fully up to expectations".
Friday's letter expressed concern over how some schools were exerting unnecessary pressure on pupils and said they should stop arranging extra classes, training or mock examinations in the name of the assessment.
READ MORE: Hong Kong primary schools told to stop drilling to prepare for controversial exams
But the associations said the letter showed the bureau's "lack of understanding … and indifference to education".
"[The letter] damages the mutual trust between parents and schools," the associations said.
The legislator for the education constituency, Ip Kin-yuen, criticised the government for failing to handle the controversy of the TSA "at the root of the problem" by reviewing whether it should be revamped or scrapped.
Henry Chan Sing-tat, vice-chairman of the Hong Kong Parents Association, said the bureau should have properly communicated with primary schools before issuing the letter.
"The guideline really came too late, as there was already a lot of confusion and panic over TSA," he said.
