Abstract
Background: The Education Commission is now reviewing the policy on medium of instruction and school places allocation in secondary schools of Hong Kong. They invite response from different sectors about the present policy.
Aim: This article is in response to the above invitation on the policy of medium of instruction.
Exposition: The economic, political and educational factors were found to be the main ones influencing the choice of medium of instruction in secondary schools. In particular, the economic factor was found to be the dominant one under normal situations. Before 1949, students chose to study in Chinese middle schools. They switched to choose Anglo-Chinese secondary schools during 1950–97. The scene has been seriously distorted recently due to the Government’s strong policy of imposing mother tongue education to a majority of secondary schools after 1997, Parents, students, and educators are unhappy about the Government’s explicit intervention.
Conclusion: Language streaming within school will be a moderate but good way to resolve the dilemma of medium of instruction in secondary schools.
| Keywords: | medium of instruct on; mother tongue education; school-based streaming |
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