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The Secretary for Education (SED), Mr Eddie Ng Hak-kim, visited Kowloon City District this afternoon (February 25) to see the support services for ethnic minority students and exchange views with local District Council members and primary school headmasters.
Accompanied by the District Officer (Kowloon City), Mr William Tsui, Mr Ng visited the To Kwa Wan Kai Fong Welfare Association, where he was briefed on its facilities and services. He also observed after-school tutorial classes for ethnic minority students.
Sponsored by the Community Investment and Inclusion Fund, the classes are run by the Lok Sin Tong Benevolent Society, Kowloon. The participants are mainly Indian and Pakistani students studying in kindergartens and primary schools. The instructors, all volunteers, include university and secondary school students and other members of the local community. In addition to tutorial services and Chinese learning activities catering for the needs of the non-Chinese speaking (NCS) students, the classes also offer a variety of interest programmes, such as music, sport and drawing activities, to help the students develop their multiple intelligences.
Mr Ng said that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government has made every effort to build an inclusive society. The Education Bureau (EDB) attaches great importance to the needs of NCS students in learning Chinese and has introduced a series of education measures. Since the 2014/15 school year, the EDB has implemented the Chinese Language Curriculum Second Language Learning Framework and provided primary and secondary schools with additional funding and school-based support to adapt their curriculum and produce diversified learning materials to promote students' learning interests and outcomes progressively.
The EDB has also introduced Applied Learning Chinese (for Senior Secondary NCS students) courses as an alternative route for NCS students to acquire recognised Chinese language qualifications and enhanced ability for further studies and employment.
Mr Ng added that the EDB will introduce additional support measures to widen the age groups of the beneficiaries. For the Vocational Chinese Language Courses for NCS School Leavers implemented by the Standing Committee on Language Education and Research, post-secondary institutions and training organisations have been invited to develop and operate Vocational Chinese Language courses pegged to the Qualifications Framework. These courses aim at enhancing NCS school leavers' capability and confidence in Chinese and helping them obtain recognised qualifications, thereby enhancing their employability. It is expected that the first course will be launched in or before the second quarter of 2016.
In addition, the EDB has planned to implement the free and quality kindergarten education policy from the 2017/18 school year. For better support for NCS students, a grant comparable to the recommended salary of one teacher will be provided for kindergartens admitting eight or more NCS students. The initiative can encourage NCS children to attend local kindergartens and get immersed in a Chinese language environment early for a smoother progression to mainstream primary education.
The SED also met with Kowloon City District Council members and primary school headmasters to exchange views on a wide range of education issues, including the clarification of some of the misperceptions or misunderstandings about the Territory-wide System Assessment as well as the learning of traditional Chinese characters and reading of simplified Chinese characters.
Ends/Thursday, February 25, 2016
Issued at HKT 17:10
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