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SED on LegCo Education Panel agenda item on BCA
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     Following is the transcript of remarks by the Secretary for Education, Mr Eddie Ng Hak-kim, at a media session after attending a LegCo Panel on Education meeting today (April 10):    
 
Reporter: Mr Ng, could you describe briefly, say, tell us what do you think happened just now at the meeting, the feelings of the people and what do you feel about it?
 
Secretary for Education: If you look at the whole afternoon, I have been extremely disappointed. This is the Education Panel's meeting. On the fourth agenda item, the focus would be, as a follow up to the last couple of meetings, inviting those schools and stakeholders who actually had been involved in the 2016 BCA (Basic Competency Assessment) Research Study. Those 50 schools with particular practical experience would come forth and share their insights, experience and views on the subject with the Members of the Education Panel and other interested LegCo Members. However, after so many hours, despite the fact that most of the principals, parents and teachers spent hours waiting, on their own time, out of their own schedules, trying to help share the facts, nothing but the facts, (but) not being able to do so. So I am extremely disappointed on this particular incident.
 
     The other thing is they are here to try to share experience and insights of their own. There is no preset positioning whether they should be supporting the Government or whoever. They are just trying to tell the truth. A couple of Members during the meeting actually have been teasing them with very, very unfair statements. Actually I would consider those very malicious statements against them, like you are sort of a club to try to cheer people up, type of cheer group or just trying to support the Government. We should not have prejudged those public members who try to come forward to tell the truth. That is the second point.
 
     I do appreciate very much the (Education Panel) Chairlady as well as some of the Members who have been trying very hard to keep this agenda on and trying to make sure those who come forward would have the chance to share. But actually they failed because of various ungrounded reasons, as I see it. On this particular ground, I would really want to thank the Chairlady and a couple of Members who tried to actually make things happen. Last but not least, this is a democratic society. As one member mentioned at the meeting, we have heard a lot of those people, reasons and so on why they disagree and are not supporting the BCA or TSA (Territory-wide System Assessment). However, should we also be attending to those who might be supporting with their own reasons and perspective? That is important. We should not try to eliminate any opportunities for those other peoples' views being properly heard.
 
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)
 
Ends/Monday, April 10, 2017
Issued at HKT 21:05
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