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Educational Support Measures for Non-Chinese Speaking Students
Educational support measures provided for non-Chinese speaking (NCS) students by the Education Bureau (EDB) from the 2006/07 to the current school years by category are set out as follows:
(1) Provision of additional resources for schools admitting NCS students
From the 2006/07 to 2012/13 school years, schools admitting a critical mass of NCS students, having experience in taking care of NCS students, ready to partner with the EDB to develop school-based support measures and share experiences with other schools were provided with an annual additional funding ranging from $300,000 to
$600,000 depending on the number of NCS students admitted, and professional support services for these schools to develop specific school-based support programmes and Chinese Language learning and teaching materials. These schools needed to share their experience with other schools admitting NCS students through the school support network that the EDB had formed, so that all NCS students would benefit. These schools were generally referred to as the so-called
“designated schools”.
The EDB abolished in the 2013/14 school year the so-called
“designated schools” system afore-mentioned with a view to removing the misconception arising from the “designated school” label which is in fact a misnomer and to raising schools’ awareness to support NCS students’ learning of the Chinese language. Instead, all schools admitting 10 or more NCS students have been provided with an additional recurrent funding ranging from $300,000 to $600,000 per annum. We have made it explicit that schools should be accountable for meeting the needs of their NCS students by formulating school-based learning and teaching strategies to support their NCS students’ effective learning of Chinese through optimal use of the additional funding so as to facilitate their academic and career pursuits as well as integration into the community.
(2) Chinese Language Curriculum, Teachers’ Professional Development and School-based Professional Support
The Supplementary Guide to the Chinese Language Curriculum for NCS Students was introduced in 2008 with packages of learning and teaching materials distributed to schools and NCS students to help teachers adapt the Chinese Language Curriculum. The Chinese
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Language Assessment Tools designed in the learning context of NCS students in Hong Kong have also been developed to help schools set appropriate learning targets for their NCS students under the multiple pathways.
In parallel, school-based professional support services and professional development programmes are provided to enhance the capability of Chinese Language teachers teaching NCS students.
(3) After-school Support in Chinese Learning
We have commissioned the operation of the Chinese Language Learning Support Centres to the University of Hong Kong to offer remedial programmes after school and during holidays for those NCS students who have a late start in learning Chinese, develop teaching resources and organise workshops for experience sharing.
The time-limited Project of After-school Extended Chinese Learning for NCS Students funded by the Language Fund has been implemented since the 2010/11 school year. Successful applicant schools are provided a funding in the range of $50,000 to $300,000 per annum to put in place diversified extended Chinese learning programmes to reinforce what NCS students have learnt in class.
(4) Summer Bridging Programme
We offer Summer Bridging Programme to NCS Primary 1 entrants and students proceeding to Primary 2, Primary 3 and Primary 4 to help them consolidate what they have learnt at Key Stage 1 and prepare for their transition to Key Stage 2.
Starting from 2013, the programme has been refined to allow NCS parents accompanying their children with a view to promoting parental support to NCS students learning the Chinese Language through home-school cooperation.
(5) Alternative Chinese Qualifications
Starting from 2008, the University Grants Committee-funded institutions have accepted alternative Chinese Language qualifications including the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE), International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) and General Certificate of Education (GCE) of eligible NCS students for consideration for admission under the Joint University Programmes Admissions System.
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We have been subsidising eligible school candidates sitting for the GCSE (Chinese) Examination since 2010 to the effect that the fee level of the examination payable by the subsidised school candidates is on par with the Chinese Language paper in the defunct Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination and Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination.
Starting from 2013, the examination subsidy coverage has been expanded to include other non-local Chinese examinations such as the IGCSE, GCE Advanced Subsidiary Level and GCE Advanced Level.
(6) Promotion of Early Integration
We encourage NCS parents to send their children to schools with immersed Chinese language environment.
We provide support for kindergartens admitting NCS students, including University-School Support Programme projects financed by the Education Development Fund in respect of the learning and teaching of Chinese for NCS children implemented for 3 years since the 2012/13 school year; and school-based professional support services.
District-based programmes in collaboration with non-governmental organisations have been organised since the 2012/13 school year to motivate NCS children to learn Chinese through fun activities such as games and creative art, etc. under the Language Fund.
