IMPLEMENTATION (a) Introduction

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children, but armed with objective information on their children's achievement, they would be in a position to select schools best suited for their children's educational development. Thus, parents of children in Groups B and C would be advised to select places in Chinese-medium or two-medium schools. Parents of Group E children could choose places in English-medium, two-medium or Chinese-medium schools.

6.4.23 With the results of the assessments to hand, secondary schools would be in a better position to choose an appropriate medium or mediums of instruction to meet the needs of their student intake. Within our framework, therefore, allocation would still be based on the SSPA system and in terms of medium of instruction parents and schools would be encouraged to do what is best for their children.

6.4.24 We recommend that the framework we have proposed in paragraphs 6.4.19 to 6.4.23 above should be adopted in Hong Kong.

6.5 IMPLEMENTATION

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on which students may be grouped. It is proposed that the relevant components from the Primary 6 assessments in Chinese and English will make up the two assessment instruments used to determine the most appropriate medium of instruction for each student. Since the Primary 6 assessments will not be ready until 1994, we propose that the existing HKATs be revised, to ensure that they are secure, and used for this purpose. A timetable setting out the tentative schedule for the adoption of a clear cut medium of instruction and for the introduction of the assessment instruments for medium of instruction grouping is shown below

-School Year

HKATs

Framework of targets and related assessments

Action by ED and schools

1990-91 Preparation Construction of targets 1991-92 Design and

moderation

Tryout of targets Schools asked to choose medium of instruction 1992-93 Tryout of test/tasks Consolidate targets

1993-94 1st live test (December)

Tryout of P6 TRA

1994-95 Test on sample 1st live P6 TRA

(December)

Advice given to schools by ED

1995-96 Predictive research 2nd live P6 TRA

1996-97 Tryout S3 TRA

1997-98 1st live S3 TRA

Predictive research 1st P6/S3 TRA

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1998-99 2nd live S3 TRA Firm guidance given to

schools Predictive research 2nd

P6/S3 age cohort

1999-2000 Predictive research 1st

P6/S5 age cohort

6.5.3 In the next few paragraphs, we explain the development process of the assessment instruments.

Preparation work for the revised HKATs and target-related assessments in Chinese and English will begin in 1990-91. At the same time, the attainment targets for English and Chinese at Key Stage 2 (ie Primary 6) will be developed. To speed up the process, some of the development efforts will be subsumed under the research projects to be funded by the HongKong Bank Language Development Fund. (See paragraph 6.5.26)

6.5.4 In 1991-92, secondary schools will be requested by ED to opt for one teaching medium or the other or to use both. ED will give schools guidance in choosing which option is most appropriate for their students. In order to help schools make their choice, ED will also provide schools with their students' results over the past three years on HKATs appropriately scaled at Primary 5 and Primary 6 in Chinese and English.

6.5.5 In 1991-92 the design and moderation of the new HKATs will be carried out. These may embody some of the new forms of assessment to be devised at Primary 6 so that some experience may be gained in producing target-related assessments. The arrangements for administering the secure HKATs will also be devised. Meanwhile, the attainment targets for the new assessments at Primary 6 will be drawn up and tested in a number of pilot schools. These targets may form the subject of some HKATs items.

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6.5.6 During 1992-93 the new HKATs will be tried out. The new framework of targets and assessments will have been sufficiently advanced to allow the Primary 6 attainment targets to be finalised in the light of the results of the testing in pilot schools. Since the effectiveness of the teaching leading to these attainment targets may take longer to achieve, further investigation of the appropriateness of the targets will be needed.

Drawing on experience gained in developing the new HKATs, work will then commence on the design of the target-related assessments. By the end of the year, the attainment targets will have to be disseminated to all primary schools so that teachers can orientate their teaching towards the first new assessments, which will be introduced 16 months later in December 1994.

6.5.7 In December of the 1993-94 school year, the new secure HKATs will be administered. The results will be made available to parents in time for them to exercise their choice of secondary schools in May.

The school and ED will also be able to judge from these results whether the school's choice of medium of instruction made in 1991 was appropriate or not. If not the school will then be advised by ED to change its medium of instruction to suit its intake.

6.5.8 The first target-related assessments will be administered to a sample number of schools in 1994.

Through comparisons between students' performance in the two test forms, and using linked common tasks, valuable research information can be derived to facilitate and fine-tune the design of the target-related assessments. In 1994-95, these new assessments will be administered at Primary 6 for the first time.

6.5.9 The following year, the students who took the Primary 6 HKATs tryout tests in 1992-93 will have completed Secondary 3. Through computer-assisted tracing it will be possible to see whether the target-related elements of HKATs provide a good predictive instrument for medium of instruction

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grouping. This will help in the development of the related assessments. In December, the Primary 6 target-related assessments will be held for the second time. The development of those for Key Stage 3 at Secondary 3 will then begin.

6.5.10 Secondary 3 target-related assessments will be developed in the same way as those for Primary 6 and will be tried out in 1996-97. Assuming all goes well their first administration will be in 1997-98. Thus, in this year, the group of students which took the first Primary 6 target-related assessments in 1994-95 would also take them at Secondary 3. The predictive power of Primary 6 target-related assessments may be ascertained through relating the results of the assessments at the two levels.

6.5.11 From 1994 onwards, schools will have been provided with results from the HKATs or target-related assessments. However, despite the information derived from these assessments and ED's advice, some schools may still be reluctant to change their teaching medium and defend their position by pointing to , for example, a poor student intake. At this stage, in view of the possible shortcomings of the first target-related assessments at Primary 6 or Secondary 3, D of E, as mentioned earlier, can only advise schools that they have chosen an inappropriate teaching medium. With the second administration of Secondary 3 target-related assessments in 1998-99, the quality of such assessments will have been ascertained. Strong evidence can then be presented to schools to demonstrate that they have made the wrong choice and D of E will be in a good position to give firm guidance to schools towards the right teaching medium. Full implementation of the language policy will thus be achieved in 1998-99.

6.5.12 By 1999-2000, the group of students who took the first Secondary 3 target-related assessments in 1997-98 (and the first Primary 6 target-related assessments in 1994-95)

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would take the HKCEE. The predictive power of the assessments at Secondary 3, and Primary 6 over the longer term, could thus be clearly ascertained.

6.5.13 We recommend that the assessment instruments and the attainment targets for Chinese and English at Primary 6 and Secondary 3 be developed and that they be tested and administered according to the proposed schedule. We recognise that this will be a time-consuming and complex task. We would like, nonetheless, to urge the Government to carry out this work as expeditiously as possible. We also recommend that regular reviews be conducted to monitor progress and to consider whether stronger measures may be needed to achieve our objectives of encouraging Chinese-medium instruction and minimising mixed-code teaching.

(c) Interaction between the proposed framework and the SSPA

6.5.14 We have mentioned earlier that students will be allocated places on exactly the same basis as now, that is through the SSPA. While the majority of students will be assessed as being able to learn more effectively in Chinese, it is nevertheless possible that in 1991, not sufficient schools would opt to become Chinese-medium schools due to the prevailing pressure described in paragraph 6.5.9. A mismatch between students and schools could exist during the first few years. However, with the additional information provided in 1994 and onwards on their intake of students, and the advice from ED; it is expected that schools will choose the appropriate medium of instruction or proportion of English or Chinese classes, to suit the language achievements of their students. In this way the criticism which has been levelled at existing secondary schools that they claim to teach through English whilst actually using mixed-code, would fall away. The medium of instruction offered by schools would come to reflect the reality of students' needs.

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(d) Bridging courses and language enhancement

(i) Enhancement of English for Primary 5 and Primary 6

6.5.15 We recommend the enhancement of English language activities at Primary 5 and Primary 6 levels to raise the standard of primary students' English. These activities could include extended reading programmes, fun-oriented English activities such as quizzes and games, camps and summer courses. We recommend that the Government investigate the feasibility of such an approach and, if viable, seek the necessary funds to implement it territory-wide. We note, too, that in due course introduction of whole-day schooling at Primary 5 and Primary 6 will provide additional periods at school for students.

(ii) Bridging course for Secondary 1 students

6.5.16 We recommend that there should be a bridging course during Secondary 1, as proposed by the Working Group. This would raise the English standard of those students who have been assessed as being able to learn effectively in English to the standard required for studying the secondary curriculum through English. We note and support the pilot project, which will be carried out by ILE over a period of two years starting in September 1990, to establish the effectiveness of such a bridging course. As part of this approach, we recommend that the ILE also examine whether the proposed English activities at Primary 5 and Primary 6 might influence the content and duration of the bridging course at Secondary 1. We understand that the funding for the bridging course project will be provided by the HongKong Bank Language Development Fund. Should the research prove the effectiveness of the bridging course, the course could be implemented selectively in schools in 1992-93 and made available for all students who will learn through English from 1994-95.

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(iii) Bridging course for Secondary 3 students

6.5.17 We examined the possibility of developing a bridging course for Secondary 3 Chinese-medium students who might be able to study effectively in English in Secondary 4. We noted the conclusion of the Working Group that it would be difficult for students to move to English-medium classes at this stage. The gap between the level of English attained through the study of English as a subject, and the level of English required to cope with the demands of learning a broad range of subjects through English, widens the further up the school system a student goes. While we agree in principle with this argument, we nevertheless consider that those Chinese-medium students who have performed very well on a range of subjects through Chinese as well as in their Secondary 3 target-related assessment in English should be permitted to transfer to the English-medium group in Secondary 4, should their parents so wish. We therefore recommend that the ED establish the means by which such students could successfully transfer to an English-medium class at the end of Secondary 3. We also recommend that the ED explore ways in which a bridging course might be provided at the end of Secondary 3 to assist such students.

6.5.18 We also recognise that there may be some English-medium students whose performance in Secondary 3 indicates that they are making little headway either in their academic learning through the medium of English or in their English proficiency. Subject to their parents' agreement, we recommend that such students be enabled to transfer to Chinese-medium classes in Secondary 4, and, further that the ED should establish the means for them to do so, including a bridging course if necessary.

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(iv) English courses for post-Secondary 5/7 students entering employment

6.5.19 In order that Chinese-medium students leaving school at Secondary 5 may compete on a more equal footing for employment with their English-medium counterparts, we recommend that an appropriate general English course be provided, possibly during the summer. This course might be commissioned from an appropriate outside agency.

6.5.20 Based on the research being undertaken to identify the language requirements of the workplace, we also recommend that appropriate vocational English courses, designed to meet the needs of specific types of occupation, be made available to all students from Chinese-medium and English-medium backgrounds who are about to take up or have already taken up employment, following the completion of their education at Secondary 5 or Secondary 7. For Secondary 5 students this would take place after the general English course recommended above. Some vocational training is already being provided by the Vocational Training Council but the scope of such training could be extended following consultation with various trades, professions and industries, with a view to translating their language requirements into curricular terms.

(v) Bridging programme for Chinese-medium students pursuing tertiary education

6.5.21 We believe that, in order to encourage secondary schools to use Chinese as their medium of instruction where appropriate, we need to ensure that those students learning through Chinese up to A and Advanced Supplementary (AS) levels are not disadvantaged vis a vis their English-medium counterparts at the entry to tertiary education. We believe that it is unrealistic to expect Chinese-medium students to attain the same level of English in Secondary 6 and 7 as English-medium students, since the former will have had much

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less exposure to English than the latter^*. We recommend the introduction of a bridging course to allow students who have studied in the medium of Chinese to improve their English language skills prior to their entry into tertiary education. We understand that the Government intends to discuss with the tertiary institutions the nature and duration of the programme required to ensure that students who take A levels in Chinese are given reasonable opportunities to pursue tertiary education. For example, for the benefit of Chinese-medium students who have been given conditional entry to a tertiary institution, a full time intensive English course could be provided. This course could be designed to upgrade their general English, and at the same time to orientate them towards the sort of language and study skills they would need at tertiary level. Such a course might be organised following the A and AS level examinations, between May and the end of August.

6.5.22 With the expected growth in the number of sixth form students pursuing their studies through the medium of Chinese, we envisage that the tertiary institutions will need to do more to strengthen the current English improvement courses that they now provide for their undergraduate students to help them cope with the language requirements of their various subjects. In this connection we have already recommended in our third report (paragraph 3.16) that the Government should consider providing additional resources for such remedial teaching, where this can be shown to be justified. We understand that this matter is now being pursued by the UPGC.

* Most Chinese-medium students in Secondary 5 will have been studying English for Syllabus A in HKCEE, and in the sixth form will have prepared for the English Syllabus B examination. Most English-medium students in Secondary 5, together with the remaining Chinese-medium students, will have been studying English for Syllabus B in HKCEE, and in the sixth form will have prepared for the present Use of English examination, or in the future, the AS Use of English examination.

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(e) Additional positive discrimination measures

6.5.23 As we noted earlier in paragraph 6.4.9, while schools are still reluctant to switch to the use of Chinese this attitude may well change over time. We believe moreover, that with the introduction of various initiatives a environment more conducive to encouraging parents and school to choose the medium of instruction that is educationally best for their children will be created. These initiative include : the provision of bridging courses and other measure proposed in this chapter; the introduction of attainment targets and related assessments; the introduction of A and AS levels in the medium of Chinese and the necessary textbooks for these courses commissioned by the Chinese Textbooks Committee.

6.5.24 We recognise that the existing incentives^* and the proposed innovations require a heavy commitment of resources on the part of the Government. We recommend, nevertheless, that in addition to these, the production of more educational TV and video programmes in English be considered.

(f) Teacher education

6.5.25 We propose to leave to our next report the detailed discussion of how best to address the problem of language proficiency in Chinese and English of teachers and the mean to improve their training, since it is best handled in the context of the proposed review of teacher education. We note with interest, however, that the ILE and Colleges of Education are currently conducting research into minimum language requirements for the certification of trainee-teachers.

* The existing positive discrimination measures are outlined in paragraphs 6.2.2 and 6.2.4.

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(g) Research

6.5.26 We endorse the Working Group's recommendation that further research into language issues is required. We recommend that a Languages in Education Research and Development Unit be formed in the ILE to conduct research and development work related to the implementation and monitoring of language improvement measures. We would like to take this opportunity to thank the HongKong Bank for its contribution of $20 million to fund a fair proportion of the current ILE language research projects. Without their generosity, we could not hope to meet the proposed schedule for introducing a number of our proposed measures. The research projects to be funded by the Government and the HongKong Bank are listed at Annex 6C and 6D respectively.

(h) Administrative measures

6.5.27 We note that the Government intends to set up a Language in Education Steering Committee, with sub-committees for each language, in 1991. This Committee will coordinate work relating to language in education and will play a useful role in monitoring and reviewing the effectiveness of improvement measures.

(i) Financial implications

6.5.28 The expenditure involved in developing the HKATs is estimated as follows ($ at current prices)

-1991-92 1992-93 1993-94 1994-95 1995-96

1,042,279 1,371,238 2,789,930 8,204 118,204

6.5.29 The expenditure involved for research to be conducted by the Languages in Education Research and Development Unit is estimated at ($ million at current prices)

-120

1991-92 1992-93 1993-94 1994-95 1995-96

2.04 2.83 2.83 2.83 2.83

6.5.30 It is not possible to provide estimates of the expenditure involved in implementing the recommendations on enhancement of Chinese and English, bridging courses and teacher education until the related research projects have been completed, or, at this stage, those concerning the strengthening of English improvement courses at the tertiary institutions.

6.6 SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS