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Following is a question by the Hon Lam Tai-fai and a written reply by the Secretary for Education, Mr Michael Suen, in the Legislative Council today (June 13):
Question:
The Education Bureau (EDB) has issued a circular memorandum to schools, informing them that the Moral and National Education (MNE) subject should be implemented in primary and secondary schools starting from the 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 school years respectively. In order to allow sufficient time for schools to make preparation and planning, EDB will provide a three-year "initiation period" for schools to make appropriate arrangements: the "initiation period" for primary schools is from the 2012-2013 school year to the 2014-2015 school year and that for secondary schools is from the 2013-2014 school year to the 2015-2016 school year. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) whether the authorities have assessed the number of schools which will not be able to implement the MNE subject within the "initiation period"; if they have, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(b) of the actions the authorities will take in respect of schools which are unable to implement the MNE subject after the "initiation period" for various reasons, such as insufficient manpower, failure to develop the relevant curriculum or objection by parents;
(c) whether the authorities have any criterion to assess the effectiveness of implementing the MNE subject in schools; if they have, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(d) whether the authorities have assessed if there are sufficient qualified teachers in the education sector to implement the MNE subject; if they have, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(e) whether the authorities have any specific measure to assist schools in resolving difficulties in recruiting MNE teachers; if they have, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(f) whether the authorities have any specific measure to assist schools in resolving difficulties in planning and developing the MNE curriculum; if they have, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(g) whether the authorities have assessed if there will be significant variations among schools in terms of curriculum content and quality; if they have, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(h) whether the authorities have any measure to ensure that teachers will teach the MNE subject in a politically neutral manner; if they have, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(i) given that a one-off cash grant of $530,000 will be disbursed to each school in August this year for its use in the coming four years, covering staff recruitment, procurement of teaching materials and provision of support for teachers' participation in exchange programmes, etc., of the criteria based on which the authorities have arrived at the said amount; whether they will consult schools within the "initiation period" to review if that amount is adequate; if they will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(j) given that according to quite a number of public comments, the MNE subject is tantamount to "brainwashing education", whether the authorities have assessed if a negative perception of the MNE subject has been formed among teachers, parents and students, thereby affecting the implementation of the MNE subject; if they have, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(k) whether the authorities will examine if the subject of Chinese History should be made a compulsory subject in secondary schools before making the MNE subject a compulsory one, so as to enable students to gain more in-depth knowledge about the development of our country; if they will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
President,
For the questions raised by councilor, the replies are as follow:
(a) and (d) A three-year "initiation period" is provided in order to allow schools, on the basis of their own foundation and experience in promoting MNE as well as their students' needs, to incorporate progressive implementation of the MNE subject into the School Development Plan, the Annual School Plan and the whole-school curriculum plan according to the MNE Curriculum Guide. This is to ensure that schools have made a systematic and sustainable arrangement for the implementation of the subject by the end of the three-year "initiation period".
All along, the promotion of MNE has been one of the aims of the Hong Kong school curriculum. The content of the MNE subject can, in fact, be seen as early as in those subjects launched since the 1990s, e.g. General Studies at the primary level, Integrated Humanities, and Life and Society at the junior secondary level. In addition, learning elements of MNE are incorporated into related learning experiences such as voluntary services, Mainland exchange programmes and project learning. Hence, primary and secondary schools in Hong Kong have already built up considerable school-based experience in promoting MNE and the teachers have also accumulated relevant knowledge and teaching skills to be effective teachers of the MNE subject.
(b) In addition to the curriculum planning and staff arrangement of the MNE subject, which are detailed in the MNE Curriculum Guide alongside specific suggestions on the implementation modes, the EDB puts much emphasis on providing a great variety of curriculum resource support, including learning and teaching resources, professional development programmes, school visits, support grants, etc. to enhance teachers' mastery of the strategies and techniques in planning and implementing the MNE subject.
The EDB is also concerned about the challenges faced by schools in relation to the planning for and implementation of the MNE subject during and after the "initiation period". Timely and appropriate support in the form of school visits, learning circles, etc will be organised to enable schools to implement the subject more effectively.
Furthermore, the EDB will adopt various modes, e.g. organising parent seminars, setting up learning and teaching resources websites and publishing pamphlets, to explain to the parents the principles, aims and directions of the MNE subject so as to enhance their understanding of the subject.
(c) To evaluate the effectiveness of the implementation of the MNE subject, the EDB will review whether appropriate arrangements have been made by schools after the "initiation period", including having: (i) incorporated the MNE subject into the School Development Plan and the Annual School Plan; (ii) set up a professional MNE subject team; (iii) developed the annual MNE curriculum plan, learning and teaching plans as well as the required learning and teaching resources at each year level; (iv) indicated clearly the lesson time for the MNE subject at each year and level and for each class in the school timetable. Furthermore, the EDB will review the implementation of the MNE subject and the effectiveness of student learning through the various existing mechanisms, including regular school visits, school self-evaluation, external school review, questionnaires, etc.
(e) The EDB will organise a series of teacher professional development programmes for the smooth implementation of the MNE subject, on topics covering curriculum leadership and management, understanding and interpreting the curriculum, knowledge enrichment series, etc, to enhance teachers' knowledge of and pedagogy for the MNE subject. Learning and teaching resources, resources websites, as well as Mainland professional exchange programmes for teachers will also be provided to support the implementation of the MNE subject.
(f) To address the needs of various stakeholders of the schools such as school heads/principals, curriculum leaders and teachers, the EDB will organise a series of focused professional development programmes, on topics including curriculum leadership and management, understanding and interpreting the curriculum, learning and teaching strategies, assessing student learning, etc., to help schools to resolve the difficulties encountered when planning for the curriculum and designing learning and teaching materials. To facilitate more effective planning for the MNE curriculum, a "curriculum review tool" is provided in the MNE Curriculum Guide for use by schools. With this tool, schools can review the learning objectives of the MNE subject as well as the content and learning and teaching process of related subjects, and bring better coordination between them for more effective curriculum planning for the MNE subject.
(g) The MNE subject has clear curriculum aims and learning objectives, and a well-defined curriculum framework. Schools should make reference to the learning objectives and content of the MNE curriculum and make adaptation based on their school context and students' needs, taking into consideration the mission and vision of their respective School Sponsoring Body (SSB) and realigning with relevant subjects.
The EDB also respects the mission, tradition and history of SSBs. The development of SSB-based learning content, grounded on the MNE Curriculum Guide, is encouraged so that the mission and vision of the respective SSB and the learning objectives of the MNE could be well taken care of when the MNE subject is implemented.
(h) The learning and teaching of the MNE subject emphasises objective analysis from multiple perspectives. Teachers may select appropriate life events and current issues, including controversial ones, for discussion with students. It is unnecessary to avoid any events or issues, but a fair and unbiased analysis of the events or issues should be ensured. The MNE Curriculum Guide also includes, for schools' reference, relevant suggestions and examples on the strategies for the learning and teaching of controversial issues (including the principles of rationality, fairness, emphasis on facts and reasoning, etc.).
(i) Schools have already accumulated valuable experience in promoting MNE since the start of the curriculum reform. The Moral and National Education Subject Support Grant disbursed by the EDB is intended as an additional resource for schools' flexible use during the three-year "initiation period" to facilitate schools' transition from their MNE implementation experience into subject-based work.
During the three-year "initiation period", the EDB will interview the teachers, through school visits and professional development programmes, to collect feedback on the support measures, including the support grant to schools.
(j) The MNE subject aims at cultivating students' positive values and attitudes through a continuous and systematic learning experience. It enables students to acquire desirable moral and national qualities, thus enriching their life and facilitating their identity-building in the domains of family, society, the country and the world.
Apart from fostering in students aspirations and commitment to making contributions in the domains of family, society, the country and the world, the subject emphasises the development of students' independent thinking and autonomy so that they are able to distinguish right from wrong and make informed decisions in a caring and reasonable manner.
The EDB will continue to explain to the different stakeholders the characteristics of the MNE subject and the curriculum aims through various channels to address the concerns of the public over this subject.
(k) At present, all junior secondary students have to study Chinese History. The EDB stipulates that all secondary schools must provide Chinese history education at the junior secondary level, regardless of the mode of curriculum organisation adopted, devote not less than one quarter of the total curriculum time spent on Personal, Social & Humanities Education (PSHE) Key Learning Area (an annual average of about two lessons per week) to it, and use Chinese as the medium of instruction.
Chinese history has always been an elective subject at the senior secondary level, and this has not been changed in the New Senior Secondary academic structure. According to the 2012 Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination data, more than 90% of the schools offer Chinese History at the senior secondary level.
Ends/Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Issued at HKT 14:05
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