Hong Kong education chief softens stance on resuming TSA
Eddie Ng backtracks as Legco urges against return of controversial exam
The Education Secretary has backtracked on resuming the Primary Three Territory-wide System Assessment next year, as the Legislative Council urged the government to reject a recommendation to resume the test next year, and asked for parents and schools to be allowed to choose whether or not to participate.
Eddie Ng Hak-kim’s comments came after a government committee reviewing the controversial test submitted its report on a trial of a revised TSA this year, which recommended that “professional enhancement arrangements” under the trial – such as improving assessment papers and question design – “be extended to all primary schools in 2017”.
The report also stated the improved assessment papers and questions would not exert pressure on school sponsoring bodies, schools, students and parents, effectively eliminating the incentives for over-drilling induced by TSA.
“I have no stance on [whether to resume TSA next year] as I have yet to analyse the [report by the committee],” Ng said during a meeting of the Legco education panel.
Back in February, the education minister said he agreed in principle with the committee’s proposal to implement the revised arrangements for TSA citywide next year.
The Education Bureau suspended the test this year after teachers and parents complained of the pressure it put on primary pupils. Instead 56 schools were invited or volunteered to take part in a trial of a less demanding version.
During the meeting on Monday, the bureau also revealed that, of 56 schools invited, 22 accepted the invitation. The remaining 34 who took part in the test volunteered to do so.
Education lawmaker Ip Kin-yuen tabled a motion urging the government to reject a recommendation to resume the test next year. It passed with 15 votes. Cheng Chung-tai tabled another motion, asking for parents and schools to be allowed to choose whether or not to participate in the assessment. It was approved by 14 legislators, while one voted against it.
During the meeting, legislator Lau Siu-lai asked how the Education Bureau could ensure that schools would not be pressured to drill their students.
“Drilling is not caused by whether the questions are easy or difficult, but rather whether the schools think [results] will be used for reference and questioning by authorities,” Lau said, citing a report by Ip that claimed the test was used to rank schools.
Ng denied that schools would be ranked by TSA results.
Separately, a petition put online on Saturday afternoon, calling for the controversial test to be scrapped, had more than 14,000 signatures by Monday night.
