Rethink Policy on MOI, says expert

Teaching in English 'only suitable for top pupils'

A leading expert in language policy has thrown her weight behind the campaign against government plans to reform the medium-of-instruction policy.

University of Hong Kong's pro-vice-chancellor and vice-president, Amy Tsui Bik-may, appealed to the government to think twice before implementing the "fine-tuning" plan.

The reform, which will remove the current strict segregation of schools into Chinese and English streams and allow Chinese-medium schools to set aside a quarter of their lesson time for "extended learning activities conducted in English", has provoked strong resistance from principals and teachers since it was announced by Education Secretary Michael Suen Ming-yeung last June.

Concerns voiced by critics include claims that it would lead to increased workloads and intense competition among schools to offer English classes and the fear that students studying in Chinese-medium classes would be further stigmatised.

A staunch supporter of mother-tongue teaching, Professor Tsui, who is chair professor of HKU's education faculty, said classes taught in English were suitable only for top students.

"For students of average or below-average ability, they learn best in Chinese-medium classes," she said.

"The government has to consider whether using English as the medium of instruction would really lead to better English proficiency and whether the cost we are paying for English-medium classes is too high."

Professor Tsui spelled out the findings of a survey on the medium of instruction that she conducted between 1999 and 2001 to argue the benefits of mother-tongue teaching.

Some 2,547 students from 13 schools spanning five bandings were involved in the study.

Professor Tsui found that students of average ability scored higher in various aspects, including critical thinking, motivation and organisation, in Chinese-medium classrooms than their counterparts in an English-medium setting.

"From my observation, there are more open-ended questions in a Chinese-medium school where teachers give a lot of everyday examples that students can relate to. [Whereas], in an English-medium classroom, we get only one-word answers and lots of closed questions.

"Teachers no longer challenge students to think intellectually. They just ask them to remember facts bit by bit.

"The whole issue of mother-tongue teaching being the best learning medium is uncontroversial."

Comparing the language policy debate in Hong Kong to the recent medium-of-instruction controversy roiling Malaysia, Professor Tsui said language was a highly politicised and emotionally charged issue.

"Language is linked to identity, political power and culture. Of course education officials will deny there's a political agenda [behind language policy], but it's understandable."

Despite Professor Tsui's objections to the fine-tuning plan, Education Convergence vice-chairman and Elegantia College vice-principal Ho Hon-kuen said schools welcomed the policy for the increased autonomy they had in deciding language issues.

He said a majority of schools had voiced their support for the plan in their recent survey.

Released earlier this month, the survey interviewed more than 160 teachers from 80 schools on their views on the fine-tuning plan from December to January.

Some 74 per cent of respondents supported the fine-tuning policy, with 83 per cent of teachers from Chinese-medium schools agreeing with the new plan.

"Many lower-banded schools welcome the 25 per cent lesson time that they can use for extended learning activities conducted in English," he said.

"Parents being attracted to schools with English classes is a reality. So the decision to allow more English classes affects the survival of schools."

A bureau spokesman said they believed schools were capable of exercising professional judgment in deciding their language policies.

"It's our belief that schools would make decisions based on students' best interests," he said.

Source:
South China Morning Post 28 March 2009 (Saturday)

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