English or languish Probing the
ramifications of Hong Kong's language policy
Quality Assessment
Section One
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BENEATH THE SURFACE
A Structural Approach to Hong Kong's Educational Priorities
Introduction
A careful examination of the way in which public and private
secondary teachers are assigned across academic subjects reveals what
is probably the true academic agenda of Hong Kong school
administrators. In terms of both the number and quality of trained
teachers the overriding emphasis is on technology, commerce, and
national identity. The tools required by the individual student to
understand his role in society at the local, regional, national, and
global levels are not provided or only provided in a context in which
they cannot be challenged
intellectually. No apparent intellectual foundation for good
cross-cultural understanding is present.
Caution: Though
certification is an important standard for measuring knowledge and a
teacher's ability to transfer it to others, when applied to individual
teachers it must be utilised with caution. What is probably a good
yardstick for most and therefore the system as a whole, is likely a
poor standard of measurement in many individual cases. Thus, those who
are quick to find exception with the conclusions of this section,
should not be quick to discount the results; rather, they should view
their own experience as fortunate and consider what makes them an
exception. In many ways the statistics speak for themselves.
The number of hours
that a child spends seated with his classmates before a teacher during
his grade school career is indeed very large. As
teachers exercise important authority over each student and the
classroom as a whole, they represent an important constraint on a
child's ability to learn. The extent to which this constraint creates a
quality learning environment for all students depends of course on many
factors including the teacher's
knowledge, training, experience, motivation, leadership skills, and
personality. Obviously there is much more to teaching than merely
being knowledgeable about a particular subject matter. (index)
The
teacher as a government
employee
There
was a time, perhaps not so long ago, when only the children of educated
parents
or those who could afford to pay teachers were taught the kind of
knowledge that one acquires from books. Under such circumstances the
teacher answered directly to the parents whose children he was
teaching.
For a variety of reasons the individual parent has far less
control today over what, how, and by whom his or her child is taught.
Not only does the subject matter to which children are exposed requires
many teachers, but the teachers are selected by a
principal -- not the parent. Parents might still have a say about
the treatment of their children, but the teacher, his or her salary,
the subject matter,
the number of hours spent, and the educational setting are all
determined by the school
administration and the educational system of which the school forms a
part. Teachers salaries are determined based on factors far removed
from the classroom including their level of certification,
administrative rank, and their school's overall performance on
comprehensive examinations administered by the regional government.
With the exception of parent-teacher associations and parental
influence over their children's domestic study habits caring parents
have
been largely removed as a determining factor in their children's
education. Indeed, education today is often run like big business, and
private enterprise now competes
with government for a share in the spoils. This is especially true in
the case of English language education in Hong Kong and East Asia.
How things became this way
is a matter somewhat beyond the scope of this analysis. Certainly one
important factor must have been universal compulsory education.
Obviously Hong Kong's universal
English language requirement is closely associated with this general
trend. (index)
Measuring
systemic performance
In order to measure the
performance of any system one must be clear not only about the goals of
the system but also its ability to achieve those goals efficiently. In
order to understand what those goals are it is useful to examine the
way in which the system's inputs are
structured.
This section is
devoted to one of Hong Kong's educational system's two principal inputs
--
namely, its teachers. Hong Kong children are of course the other
principal input, but they appear to have little say in their own
destiny and do not receive salaries paid for with Hong Kong tax
dollars. Where appropriate Hong Kong's universal English language
(UEL)
requirement will also be addressed. (index)
Understanding
Hong Kong's educational priorities
Before one can
measure
the effectiveness of a system one must have a clear
understanding of its priorites. Rather than parroting government policy
that interprets facts in ways that are favorable to government and sets
priorities that may or may not coincide with what actually occurs, let
us examine the data upon which these policies are based and see what
priorities are actually followed.
Under the assumption that each teacher of each academic subject has the
same number of students, the number of teachers assigned to each
academic subject probably reflects well the
importance of each subject to each child relative to all other subjects
within the
system. Of course, there are many factors that determine class size,
and a closer look will likely reveal many exceptions to this
simplifying assumption. Nevertheless,
what better general indicator is available? Not only is manpower the
largest single expense in a typical school budget, but how that
manpower is distributed across subject areas must certainly reflect the
intentions of government and school administrators with regard to the
system's academic goals. In this analysis the system refers to all
public
and private schools accredited by the regional government of Hong Kong
and those responsible for the system's administration -- namely, Hong
Kong's Education and Manpower
Bureau (EMB) and its advisory bodies.
Graph
6 (new window) shows the number of teachers active in each major
subject area.
Each subject area is listed according to
the number of teachers, who claim that area as his or her principal
subject taught. The subject areas have
been ranked in ascending order from top to bottom according to the
total number of teachers associated with each. As
these data were taken from a comprehensive survey that includes all
teachers, sampling error is not an issue. Measurement error due to
teachers teaching in more than one subject area is likely to be
present, but not significant, because multi-subject
area teachers
engage in varying subject combinations.
With regard to the UEL requirement the most distinguishing feature of
this chart is the relative position of English literature and the
English language. English literature ranks at the top of the list with
only 152 teachers and the English language appears at the very bottom
with a whopping 5703 teachers. This point will be examined in some
detail in the next section.
Close inspection of this graph reveals what appears to be five major
subject-area subgroups. The most important
subgroup labelled The Big Three
in table 6
(new window) comprises the subject areas: English language, Chinese
language, and mathematics. The average number of teachers per subject
area in this subgroup is 5206 -- more than twice the average number of
teachers for the second most important subgroup labelled Hong Kong generic.
On average this latter group engages only 2475 teachers per subject
area. All subgroups, including the additional subgroups labelled Colonial heritage (1505 teachers), College bound (1044 teachers), and In search of a life-style
(413 teachers), exhibit a decline in the average number of teachers
per subject area as one ascends along either graph or
table. The breakpoint between each subgroup, if not
clearly visible in graph
6 becomes more apparent in table 6,
where the average number of teachers per subject area in each major
subgroup is listed. A smaller average number of teachers per subject
area can mean fewer teachers, more subject areas, or both; it is not
necessarily an indicator of a subgroups relative importance. For
example, the College bound
subgroup ranks number four (fourth from the bottom) with regard to the
average number of teachers per subject area, but ranks number three
(third from the bottom) in the number of teachers who belong to the
subgroup.
The number of teachers assigned to each subject area in each school
must represent an explicit decision on the part of each school
administrator. The number of teachers assigned to each subgroup and the
average number of teachers per subject area in each subgroup reflect
the underlying values of those who make the decisions. The number of
teachers
assigned to each subject area across the entire educational system is
the aggregate result of all decisions. As the government
establishes the curriculum
guidelines, administers the major qualifying examinations that each
student must pass in order to advance through the system,
and monitors individual school's conduct and performance, its influence
on the decision making of individual school administrator's must be
substantial, though not always direct or even crucial.
Although the name assigned to each
subgroup is somewhat ad hoc, together they appear to reflect well what
the author believes to be the hidden priorities of the Hong Kong
educational system and the underlying social structure that this system
nurtures and sustains. (index)
Hong
Kong's five principal
subject-area subgroups
In
order of Hong Kong's own priorities, based not on stated government
policy, but rather on the structural components that constitute Hong
Kong's educational system, let us now examine each of the major
subgroups
in more detail. In order to facilitate this analysis graph 7,
graph 8,
and graph 9
consolidate the information found in table 6
and graph 6
by providing
a clear comparison of all subgroups based on three separate and
distinct criteria including the proportion of subject trained teachers,
the average number of teachers per subject area, and the total number
of teachers. The Big Three In descending order
of priority let us begin with the subgroup labeled The
Big Three at the bottom of table 6. This group surpasses
each of the other subgroups in terms of both the number of teachers (graph 9)
and average number of teachers per subject area (graph 8).
Relative to the subgroup labelled Colonial
heritage there are more than three times as many teachers. As reading,
writing, and arithmetic -- the essential three Rs
of basic education -- are a major priority in any system of basic
education, the large number of teachers teaching mathematics and
Chinese language should surprise no one. What may surprise someone who
is not a native Hong Konger or East Asian is the prominence of the
English
language in this subgroup. Not only is it included among The Big Three,
but it ranks above the Chinese language and mathematics in terms of the
number of teachers per subject area. As a former British colony
one might attribute this arrangement to Hong Kong's colonial legacy.
Only six years have passed since the sovereign power of Hong Kong
switched from Great Britain to China and structural change takes time.
This does not appear to be the case; however. Rather than gradually
reducing the number of English language teachers Hong Kong's Education
and
Manpower Bureau is seeking to improve their quality. In so far as
nearly 95% of all Hong Kongers are ethnic
Chinese and speak the same mother tongue (see graph 11)
this structural persistence not only needs to be explained, but must be
well-justified. Unfortunately it is not, and this is the challenge that
the HKLNA-Project poses to the Hong Kong government and many Hong Kong
citizens who support their government in this regard.
In terms of certified teacher qualifications (graph 7) only the subgroup
labelled College bound ranks
higher than The Big Three1.
Certainly the high priority placed on Big Three subject areas speaks
well of at least one aspect of Hong Kong's educational system. (index)
Hong
Kong generic
This subgroup ranks number two in terms of the number of teachers
assigned to it. Chinese history, computer
studies, and general science constitute the subgroups three subject
areas. Though more teachers (see table 6)
are assigned to Chinese history than to either
computer studies or general science, the number of teachers assigned to
each subject area is quite high relative to other subject areas not
included in The Big Three. In terms of teacher
quality (graph
7), however, this subgroup ranks fourth behind The Big Three, College Bound, and In search of a life-style.
The extraordinary priority placed on this subgroup in terms of teacher
number
and the obvious neglect with regard to level of certification suggest
high level exposure and low level awareness. Low quality, high level
exposure caters to awareness that others
understand -- not an ability to apply that awareness in a meaningful
way for oneself.
The high priority placed on Chinese history is not unusual, as
history is an important tool employed by all national governments to
insure loyalty and legitimize authority. The strong emphasis on
computer
studies reflect Hong Kong's commitment to information technology and
desire to remain competitive internationally. The extraordinary
priority given to
general science insures public awareness with regard to technological
transfer, innovation, and implementation, and together with Chinese
history and computer studies instills regional pride in Hong Kong's
high level of technological advancement and insures a
built-in tolerance for the important long term social and environmental
sacrifices necessary to insure the short-term profit gains, industrial,
commercial, and financial competitiveness, and rapid rise to riches of
Hong Kong's entrepreneurial elite.
In the end the Hong Kong child learns that being Chinese is a good
thing, and that computers and science are important to its leaders.
Control over his
own political destiny and his ability to manipulate information and the
world around him are left to others, however. (index)
Colonial
heritage
Though number three in terms of average
number of teachers per subject area, this subgroup represents the
bottom of the barrel.
Not only does it include the fewest number of teachers (graph 9),
but it demonstrates the worst quality in terms of teacher certification
(graph 7).
Included in this group are ethics and religion, geography, and history.
As Chinese history is contained in the subgroup Hong Kong generic,
history in this subgroup must cover more worldly topics such as human
evolution, imperial
conquest, the Enlightenment, colonial expansion, the British empire,
the industrial revolution, the rise of nationalism, recent regional and
world wars, the creation of the United
Nations, urbanization and modernisation, economic development, and the
general
destruction and degradation of our social and biological environments.
As over 60% of all Hong Kong
children are enrolled in primary schools that are affiliate with some
religious faith, the absence of subject
training in ethics and religion among Hong Kong secondary school
teachers is somewhat baffling2.
Perhaps school administrators believe
that the interpretation of religious teachings is not something to
analyse and debate. Certainly the best place to learn religious,
ethnic, and racial
tolerance is not among members of your own religion, ethinic group, or
race, but among the general public where all walks of life tend to
meet. When this is not possible, however, what better place is there to
learn tolerance than in a classroom under the guidance of a
well-trained teacher? The abysmally low level of
teacher certification in these areas (12.7% public schools and 11.6%
private schools) certainly does not support the often flaunted
international character of Hong Kong society3.
The overall mediocre rating (51% subject trained) for the Colonial heritage
subgroup is salvaged by the subject area geography for which 74.8%
(public schools) and 79% (private schools) of all teachers are
subject-trained. These high
figures explain at least in part why geography is one of the subject
areas examined for entry into a local university. Certainly it
reflects the high priority that Hong Kong educators place on Hong
Kong's reputation as a regional and world trade and financial center.
One might expect that Hong Kong secondary school students have a better
notion of geography than say their USAmerican counterparts. (index)
College
bound Though fourth on the list of major subgroups in terms
of average number of teachers per subject area (graph 8),
this group receives the highest quality rating; a full 87% of all
teachers are subject-trained in their principal subject taught (graph 7).
This subgroup also ranks third (graph 9)
in the total number of teachers assigned to any subgroup -- 17.6% of
all teachers4.
Perhaps it is not coincidence that there are just about
as many teachers assigned to the College
bound subgroup as there are students who receive post-secondary
formal training in Hong Kong.
The high qualifications of this subgroup should surprise no one, as
grade school education and academia in general are a meritocracy the
world over. Students compete for the best grades possible, and those
that receive the best grades, advance the furthest and highest through
the system. Accordingly, it is natural in the absence of intervention
from outside authorities for the best trained teachers to be assigned
to the best trained students and vice versa. This scheme of things
blends well with what appears to be the natural flow of people and
ideas in Hong Kong society -- the "unruly many" are sacrificed on
behalf of the obedient and disciplined ruling few. This is a recurrent
theme in Hong Kong society and educational system for which we will
find ample evidence as we move along. (index)
In
search of a life-style
This subgroup distinguishes itself from the other subgroups in so far
as it contains the largest number of subject areas 14 and the
smallest average number of teachers per subject area -- only 413 (see table 6).
With
regard to the total number of teachers only the subgroup Colonial heritage has fewer. In search of a life-style
includes those subjects that are probably not available to every
student. This subgroup also provides teachers, who teach these
subjects, a
certain degree of autonomy vis-à-vis their peers. The subject areas of
this subgroup give students, who are not college-bound, a break from
the assembly-line
filtering proceedures associated with more standard subject areas.
These subject areas also give
students a chance to explore different avenues of self-expression and
professional development, and even prepare some for a life
different from that to which all of us are condemned at least in part
-- that of the anonymous data point and statistical profile.
In graph 10
this subgroup's subject areas are further classified into four minor
subgroups including Buisness and
commerce (gold), Civic duty
and social awareness (brown), Non-recreational
leisure (yellow), and Work
skills (orange)5.
The number of teachers and their level of subject training are provided
for each minor subgroup, and these compared with teacher quantity and
quality for the major subgroup as a whole. The subject areas
corresponding to each minor subgroup can be found in table 10.
By way of further comparison both major and minor subgroups are
compared with the subject area English language taken from the major
subgroup The Big Three.
The
teacher quality among these minor subgroups is not uniform.
Though not as low as the subject area Ethics and religion examined
under the heading Colonial heritage
above,
subject training in Civic duty and social awareness ranks at the bottom
of this subgroup with only 31% of all teachers having received either
degree or non-degree subject training. In contrast subject trained
teachers in the minor subgroup Non-recreational leisure tops the list
with 83% of all teachers having received subject training. Among the
subject areas examined in this section and the major and minor
subgroups associated with each only the
major subgroup College bound ranks higher in teacher quality than
Non-recreational leisure. Obviously the Hong Kong educational system
places important emphasis on leisure activity for at least a small
number of Hong Kong students. (index)
The big
picture written small If the number of teachers and their level of
certification in the principal subjects they teach is a good indicator
of the way in which Hong Kong school administrators prioritize
knowledge for the purpose of educating Hong Kong children, then we are
left with the following.6
In terms of subject matter Hong Kong administrators provide a solid
foundation in mathematics and Chinese language and history to all
students. Those, who are likely to continue their formal education
beyond
secondary form V and contribute to the region's technological
and economic advancement, are provided with the best education
possible.
Little attention is paid to nonmarket, social value that cannot be
obtained within the narrow framework of one's own religious beliefs or
family circle. With the exception of economics and geography the social
and behavioral sciences are ignored. Though many students receive an
introduction to science, information technology, and non-Chinese
history, their understanding of what they have learned is probably
shallow. Please see the introduction for
this section for additional summary and concluding remarks written
small. (index) 1
Obviously the quality of a teacher's certification is only one measure
of his or her ability to perform well in the classroom. All other
factors equal, however, the better a teacher's certification the better
his or her probable performance is likely to be. For the purpose of
measuring the system's overall priorities and performance the
comparison provided in graph 7 is probably the best available. See
Glossary under Special
terms for definitions of subject-trained and nonsubject-trained
teachers. (text)
2 In 2001
just under 60% of all Hong Kong primay day school students were
enrolled in a religious affiliated primary school, more than 50% were
enrolled in a primary school affiliated with a Christian faith. With
only minor change the same pattern holds for Hong Kong secondary school
enrolment. Source: Department of Education (Education and Manpower
Bureau) Planning and Research Division, Statistics Section. 2002
(April). Enrolment statistics 2001. Table 3.7 Classes, accommodation,
and enrolment in primary day schools by religious background of school,
2001, p.58. Table 4.5 Classes, accommodation and enrolment in secondary
day schools by religious background of school, 2001, p.91. (text)
3Department of Education
(Education and Manpower Bureau), Planning and Research Division,
Statistics Section. 2002 (May). Teacher Statistics 2001. Table 4.17
Distribution of secondary school teachers in post by subject taught by
sector and formal training, p.100. (text)
4 This figure
is derived by summing vertically across the number of teachers assigned
to each subgroup, dividing this total into the number of teachers
within subgroup College bound,
and then multiplying by 100. See table 6
for values. (text)
5
Non-recreational leisure refers to leisure activities that are not
included under the heading physical education. Physical education is
included in the major subgroup College
bound and can be viewed in either graph 6
or table 6.
(text)
6 As the next
section is devoted entirely to the way in which the English language
fits into the big picture described in this section, it will ignored
for the moment. (text)