More Hong Kong pupils taking controversial TSA exams, but city teachers say stress levels among children are down

More Primary Three pupils sat a revised citywide school assessment this year, according to a teachers’ union, although the children appeared to have found the tests less stressful than before. The Professional Teachers’ Union (PTU) surveyed 401 teachers and 395 schools in May. Of these, 234 schools said they made all their Primary Three pupils sit the controversial Territory-wide System Assessment, compared with 201 schools in 2018. All government-funded schools must join the assessment but can pick whether 10 per cent of their pupils sit tests in English, Chinese and mathematics or have the full year do it. The TSA, which covers Primary Three, Primary Six and Secondary Three, had been blamed for pupil stress as teachers drilled them to do well. There are about 470 government-funded primary schools. A revised assessment was introduced in 2018 after the original TSA was suspended two years earlier following an outcry. Oral tests were held on April 29 and 30, and the Chinese exam on Tuesday. Maths and English tests would run on Wednesday. At Baptist Rainbow Primary School in Wong Tai Sin, 10 per cent of the 101 Primary Three pupils sat the TSA. Headmaster Fielie Fung Yiu-cheung said the decision to not opt for full participation was made after surveying parents and teachers. A little more than half of parents opted for 10 per cent sampling along with four in five teachers. TSA or no, Hong Kong school pressures to remain Senior teacher Lai Pui-ying, who supervised the reading section of the Chinese assessment, said the level of difficulty was reasonable. “Any student with an average ability should have been able to handle the questions,” Lai said. To allow the children to familiarise themselves with the format, the school had prepared two Chinese past papers, but did not tell parents. “There is no need to drill students with this average level of difficulty,” said Lai, who would prefer that Primary Three pupils did not have to take the test. “Although we don’t drill students, I heard it is common for other schools to drill them with extra papers and lessons.” On the other hand, the Kaifong Welfare Association Primary School in Sham Shui Po has had all Primary Three pupils sit the TSA for the past two years, and will continue to do so. Vice-principal Vanessa Cheung Lai-wan said the school agreed with the idea behind the TSA and valued the feedback from the reports. “By comparing the figures for our school and the general performance of all schools in Hong Kong, we are able to know our strengths and weaknesses, and improve accordingly.” The school prepared two TSA past papers for Chinese, and one each for English and maths for pupils to practise during classes. Four pupils from the two schools who finished the Chinese test all agreed that the time was sufficient in each section – listening, reading and writing. Three had no difficulties in answering any question, but Ou Yang-mak from Baptist Rainbow Primary School found the second writing part hard. “I didn’t know what to write,” he said, although overall he found the other questions straightforward. Chan Wai-kei, a Primary Three student from Baptist Rainbow, said: “The TSA was easier than school exams.” Hong Kong schools and parents could be surveyed on excessive test drilling Shakira Liao Yi-qi from Kaifong Welfare Association Primary School also had few problems. “I finished the reading and writing test already during the first half of the exam,” she said, According to the PTU survey, of the 264 teachers from schools that newly applied for full participation, 77 per cent agreed the TSA resulted in pressure on pupils. Controversy over the assessment causing extra stress on pupils has continued for years. But Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung previously said the revised measures had helped to reduce the need for drilling.