Additional Support for Non-Chinese Speaking Students in Kindergartens

Current Situation

8.2.1 As it is important to facilitate early integration of NCS children into the local education system and community, parents of NCS children are encouraged to send their children to local KGs for early exposure to the Chinese language in an immersed language environment to facilitate the students’ transition to local primary schools.

In the 2014/15 school year, there are about 11 900 NCS students studying in some 560 KGs (with around 76% offering the local curriculum, 20% non-local curriculum, and 4% both). Among those students, about 5 000 are attending 380 KGs under PEVS, all of which are offering the local curriculum.

8.2.2 At present, teachers are equipped with the basic knowledge and skills to cater for learner diversity through the recognised KG teacher education/training

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programmes³² with a core domain of catering for children with diverse needs.

Teachers’ capability of addressing the learning needs of NCS students is also enhanced through professional development programmes (PDPs)³³ organised by EDB and school-based support services, including the “University-School Support Programmes” which provides support for KGs in the teaching and learning of Chinese for NCS children³⁴ with expertise solicited from the tertiary sector.

8.2.3 With funding from the Language Fund and as advised by the Standing Committee on Language Education and Research, district-based programmes for NCS children aged three to nine have been organised in collaboration with NGOs in districts with a greater concentration of NCS students with a view to motivating NCS students to learn the Chinese language through fun activities such as games, creative art, etc. These programmes are expected to complement the effort of KGs. With the injection of $5 billion into Language Fund in the form of seed capital, the Standing Committee on Language Education and Research will further deliberate on initiatives for enhancing the Chinese language learning support for NCS students. Besides, the Quality Education Fund (QEF) finances projects for the promotion of quality school education in Hong Kong and supports worthwhile non-profit-making initiatives within the ambit of school education. KGs can apply for support under the QEF for initiatives which address the NCS students’ needs and create a caring and inclusive environment or strategy conducive to quality education to cater for learners’ diversity.

8.2.4 With a view to helping parents of different ethnic groups understand the education services available for them, EDB has provided the information package for parents of NCS children, leaflets on PEVS and relevant booklets in different languages for distribution through District Offices, Maternal and Child Health Centres (MCHCs), etc. Parent briefing sessions on KG education and school admission have been organised with interpretation service for parents of NCS children. In addition, different government departments also provide services for ethnic minorities (EMs) according to their respective policies.

32 The programmes are Certificate Course in Early Childhood Education, Bachelor of Education in Early Childhood Education and Postgraduate Diploma in Early Childhood Education.

33 For instance, seminars/workshops on catering for young children’s diverse learning needs, including NCS students’ learning needs, have been organised since the 2013/14 school year.

34 In the 2014/15 school year, 61 KGs are supported under the “University-School Support Programmes”, representing about 11% of all KGs with NCS students.

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The Stakeholders’ Views and Committee’s Deliberations

8.2.5 It was generally recognised that KGs need to create a context-apt learning environment and provide students with authentic, meaningful and developmentally appropriate learning experiences. Since most KGs have admitted only a small number of NCS students, they could provide an immersed Chinese language environment which facilitates their early integration. However, a small number of PEVS KGs have admitted a relatively large number of NCS students³⁵. This is not desirable from the educational perspective, especially when the learning of Chinese language is at stake.

8.2.6 There were views that KGs need more support to enhance their capacity in catering for the diverse needs of NCS students and to strengthen the communication with parents with NCS children. Some suggested that a grant could be provided to KGs for this purpose. Clear objectives should be formulated while flexibility be allowed for KGs in utilising the grant to cater for the diverse needs of NCS students.

8.2.7 Some stakeholders were of the view that the learning needs of NCS students could be addressed under the general principles of catering for learner diversity. In this regard, teachers should pay attention to students’ different abilities and learning needs, and make adjustments in the learning content as well as teaching approaches accordingly. There were views that targeted teacher training programmes could be organised specifically on the learning of the Chinese language among NCS students with a view to better supporting teachers to cater for their needs.

8.2.8 In addition, the Committee appreciates that in the 2014/15 school year, on-site professional support services are provided under the theme “Promoting Early Integration and Adaptation for EM Children in KGs”, which aim to enhance teachers’

capability in helping the EM children adapt to local KG school life as well as building a foundation for these children to learn the Chinese language. There were views that the intensive mode of school-based support services could help improve teachers’

capacity in catering for the individual learning needs of NCS students.

35About 4% of PEVS KGs have admitted NCS students amounting to 50% or above of their total enrolment.

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8.2.9 The Committee appreciates that the district-based programmes subvented by the Language Fund as mentioned in paragraph 8.2.3 continue, capitalising upon with previous experience accumulated, and studies are being conducted with a view to understanding more concretely the needs of NCS students in learning the Chinese language. Some suggested that more studies in this regard could be conducted to develop appropriate strategies to support NCS students. There were also views that KGs could support NCS students with the various existing resources (e.g. Language Fund, QEF) .

8.2.10 There were views that active engagement and support of parents with NCS children are crucial to facilitate the learning of NCS students, and parents with NCS children should be well supported by different sectors such as NGOs.

The Committee’s Recommendations

8.2.11 The Committee opines that NCS parents should be well supported by different sectors in the community and the Government to facilitate early integration of NCS children into the local education system and the community. In this regard, the Committee appreciates the efforts of different government departments and the various services/support provided to EMs according to their respective policy purviews³⁶. The Committee recommends that additional assistance, in the form of a grant comparable to the salary of a KG teacher, should be provided for KGs admitting a cluster of NCS students (say eight students or more) to enable them to enhance the support for these students. With the additional resources, KGs could provide teachers with professional training and development in the areas of culture, language and diversity, and develop effective strategies to help NCS students learn through the Chinese medium, so as to lay a foundation for their study in primary schools. KGs could also deploy the additional resources to enhance the communication with the parents of NCS students and strengthen home-school cooperation. In view of the relatively small size of KGs, the Committee considers that there may not be a need to increase such additional resources according to the number of NCS students admitted.

36 For example, the Home Affairs Department commissions NGOs to run six support service centres for EMs and two sub-centres to provide support various tailor-made learning classes, counseling and referral services, integration programmes and interpretation services for EMs to facilitate their integration into the community.

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The Committee also recommends that the KGs receiving the additional resources may be invited to share experiences with other KGs.

8.2.12 The Committee is of the view that teachers’ professional knowledge and pedagogical skills in catering for the learning differences of NCS students should be further enhanced. In this connection, the Committee recommends that the Government consider measures to enhance the provision of quality and targeted teacher training programmes on the learning of the Chinese language among NCS students. Besides, the Committee recommends that school-based professional support service should be strengthened to help KGs build up the expertise in facilitating NCS students’ learning of the Chinese language for a smooth transition to primary schools. The experience gained should also be shared with other KGs through various professional development activities for teachers. Moreover, effective learning and teaching strategies as well as resources could be developed, and good practices be compiled for dissemination to all KGs.

8.2.13 The Committee considers that more studies on the needs of NCS students in learning the Chinese language could be conducted to develop appropriate strategies to be deployed to support NCS students. The Committee also recommends that KGs admitting NCS students should be encouraged to make use of existing means and resources (e.g. Language Fund, QEF) to cater for the needs of these students.

8.2.14 The Committee realises that support of different nature for EMs is being provided by different government departments and community sectors and recommends that there should be more publicity of the various support services to reach out to more EMs.