Letter to the Chief Executive on the professionalism of Hong Kong educators | 讓教育真正回歸教育 — 對特首施政報告的一些建議 7/Jan/2013

Summary

The main focus of the Chief Executive Policy Address 2013 is on economic and livelihood issues. Our Association wondered if the Chief Executive have paid due attention to the development of education in Hong Kong. The most important question would be whether the government have any short to long-term policies and commitment on education well supported by vision and planning. 

Building a common vision on education

Human resources are Hong Kong’s most precious resources. It is therefore important that our education can nurture young people who are knowledgeable, creative, outward-looking and willing to commit. To attain these goals, we need a good education system, sound government policies and adequate financial support. To develop a forward-looking education system with Hong Kong characteristics, the government must replace its short-sighted, fragmented and executive-led management with a new system that emphasises long-term visions and overall planning. Specifically, the Education Bureau (EDB) should carry out a full review of the entire education system and curriculum to come up with a blueprint for future development.

Our education system has come to a time of challenges: the New Secondary School (NSS) Curriculum, adjustment of the medium of instruction, moral and national education and decrease in student population etc. Take the last two issues as examples, the government’s handling reflected its lack of long-term planning, willingness to listen to different opinions or readiness to build a common vision with the education sector.

Pursuing quality of education

Hong Kong education still puts excessive emphasis on academic performance and international rating. Evaluations of students’ learning and school performance are based on singular measures and narrow indicators, ignoring other important factors such as character, affect, attitude, conduct and values of the students. The NSS, for example, was originally designed to encourage diverse learning and self-reflection. However, university admissions are still disproportionately linked to the Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) Examination results and learning diversity is curtailed by a curriculum requiring students to take only four major subjects and two to three electives. Depth and width of learning disappear.

As the secondary school student population is declining, our education reform should take advantage of this opportunity to start small-class teaching. Unfortunately, the officials in charge of education refused to acknowledge its benefits on the ground of financial burdens. Regrettably, our government has put economic consideration over quality of education.

Narrowing the gap in education

Disparity of the rich and the poor has greatly affected equal opportunity to education. One solid example is the special status of Direct Subsidy Scheme schools. These schools enjoy less regulatory measures and have better financial resources which enhance their staff provisions, learning facilities and environment. Another example is the inequity in which some students have a better chance to get into universities through the non-JUPAS channel. The results are: social mobility for poor students is reduced; cross-generation poverty is intensified, economically deprived students are being marginalized; their potentials and talents are unable to realize; social harmony and development are compromised. As long as our government does not expand aided higher education, economic dominance over education will remain.

Improving professionalism

To achieve the above three goals, we must improve our education professionalism. The EDB must allow more autonomy for schools, reduce government intervention, consolidate the strengths within the education system, promote professional leadership of school principals, and advocate stability and continuous development among the teachers.

Conclusion

The Hong Kong education system has its merits. Our students, though under a lot of pressures, are eager to make progress. Our teachers, though bearing heavy workload, are dedicated. It is puzzling to me that Hong Kong, as an international metropolis with a huge financial surplus, is unwilling to put more money into education. Countries such as Finland, the United States and the United Kingdom invest more than 5% of their GDP on education. Why is our government unwilling to invest more on education?

Good education planning should be guided by long-term goals and directions. Short-term measures dealing only with the present are unable to nurture new generation for the future. If the government overlooks the importance of education review and planning, the entire society has to bear the price. The question is: can we afford it?

行政長官梁振英先生鈞鑒:

讓教育真正回歸教育 — 對特首施政報告的一些建議

    閣下於2013年1月1日於網誌內發表新年文告，提出四個期盼：(1) 香港經濟可以有比較高速度的增長；(2) 市民能夠齊心；(3) 七百萬人能彼此關顧；(4) 世界的政治和經濟局勢可以盡快回復正常。文告內多番提及  閣下及　貴團隊將繼續致力推行改善民生的政策，包括居住問題、港人優先政策問題、扶貧問題等。能急民之所急，解決社會矛盾，固然是盡責任的政府應有的承擔。但若如 閣下所言，圍繞上述內容的施政報告是未來五年的施政藍圖，則我們擔心單單聚焦於經濟民生問題，施政的覆蓋面是否足夠？　閣下對香港教育的發展是否有足夠的關注？對有關教育的短、中期政策與及長期承擔，又是否有具願景的規劃？

建立共同的教育願景

    沒有願景的教育，不是真正的教育，而真正的教育，需要超越現在，裝備孩子邁向未來。香港特區的唯一可貴資源是人力，我們需要培養面向世界、具識見、敢創新、肯承擔的新一代，但這教育願景需要制度、政策、財政的配合，否則徒流於口號。政府當局必須改變現時缺乏遠見、零散分割、行政主導的教育管理模式，著力長遠及整體教育規劃的系统變革，因應全球化、地域化及本土化的趨勢，結合東方與西方的教育文化優勢，發展具有國際前瞻性及香港特色的教育。

    具體來說，教育局應對整體學制作全面的檢討，配合適切及嚴謹的教育研究，汲取學校實踐經驗及集體智慧，以制定本港未來教育發展藍圖。猶記得當年香港教育發展的藍圖，多由「教育統籌會」以報告書形式，預告香港各層教育的發展方向及政府在資源及政策上須作出的配合，而「教統會」的報告書要點會逐年實踐，香港教育質素亦因而具方向性地逐步提升。

    香港整個教育體制正值多事之秋，單是中學教育近年所面對的困難波折已是此起彼落，新高中學制、教學語言微調、德育及國民教育、學童人口下降等等。以國教風波和處理學童人口下降問題為例，除了反映香港政府在推行教育政策時，欠缺了長遠規劃，亦顯示教育官員在面對不同持分者的多元意見時，未能放下己見，以客觀態度廣納意見；更未能與業界同心同德，建立共同願景。可見今天特區教育欠缺的，正是「共同願景」的建立。

探求教育素質

    教育是為未來栽培人才，我們必須預期在未來世界學生應具備的素質，而將之恰當地設置於今天的教育內，否則只會緣木求魚，白花力氣。

    在傳统應試文化下，今天香港教育仍過度強調學業成績，崇尚國際測試的世界排名，著重學科成就多於多元智能。學生學習評估及學校表現評核，仍較多採取單一量度及偏向狹窄的指標，忽略品德情意、態度行為及價值信念。從新高中學制原來設計的多元學習，鼓勵學生發展其他學習經歷及作個人反思，到今天第一屆文憑試揭盅後，大學收生仍不合比例地傾側於學科考核成績；從當天宣稱鼓勵學生學習「文中有理、理中有文」，到今天將學習面收窄至四個主修科加二或三個選修科，在追求學問的深度與廣度上嚴重失衡；凡此種種，除了令師生均叫苦連天外，更嚴重的是影響著新一代的成長。

    在教育改革的關鍵時刻，亦適逢中學面對學童人口下降問題。學界認同此乃推動較小班教學、提升教學質素的難得良機。可惜的是，掌管教育的官員仍以資源承擔為理由，拒絕承認較小班教學的優點。若因此白白錯過了提升教育質素的機會，我們委實感到惋惜。若財政承擔凌駕於教育質素之上，我們委實感到擔憂。

    面對今天青少年問題日益嚴重，學生國際視野普遍不足，與及全球多元文化的衝擊，如何培養孩子們的國際公民素質，讓孩子的個人全人發展與香港社會共同進步，至為重要。

縮窄教育差距

    當今世界教育發展潮流，從精英教育到普及教育，再到個性化教育。政府有責任提供公平教育機會，讓不同背景的學生都能發展各人潛能。可惜的是，社會的現況是貧富漸趨兩極化，反映在教育上是經濟條件主導了接受教育的公平機會。教育現況是多元辦學口號背後，同樣接受政府津助的直資學校所受的規範較少；直資學校學生的學習條件比一般資助學校學生優勝；能以「非聯招」途徑申請入讀大學的學生，其機會似又較「本地」學生為多。學生因家庭經濟能力及文化資本的影響，在學習經歷和升學進修的機會差距不斷擴大，此現象實違背教育公義原則。昔日透過接受教育而爬上社會階梯的機會少了，社會流動性低了，隔代貧窮的問題卻加深了。經濟匱乏的學生容易被邊緣化，個人潛能未獲充份發展，誠不利社會和諧穩定和發展進步，在一個富庶進步的社會而言，實際上是不公義的。與其空談教育產業化、市場化，不如切實地增加學生的平等學習機會。香港政府一天未能擴闊學生接受資助大專教育的空間，經濟主宰教育的現象一天都未能消除。

提升教育專業

    要建立教育願景、探求教育素質與及縮窄教育差距，必須提升教育專業。教育當局須拓闊學校的專業自主空間，減少行政官僚的外部干預，凝聚教育體系內部的能量；更需要推動校長專業領導學習社羣及網絡發展，促進教師團隊的穩定和持續發展。唯有對教育專業有真正的信任和尊重，方能讓前線校長、老師真正貢獻教育，讓教育真正回歸教育!

總結

    香港教育制度，有其成功之處。置身前線，看到的是學生們在壓力下勇於求進，老師們在沉重的工作量下緊守崗位。讓我們難以理解的是，作為國際都會的香港，在坐擁大量財政儲備下，卻不願為教育作出更大的承擔。當我們從不同的統計數字上看到全球教育成效彰顯的國家如芬蘭，先進的國家如美國、英國等，其教育投放均超越GDP的5%，　閣下又是否願意提高香港政府對教育的財政承擔？

今天的教育，培養明天的領袖，真正的教育規劃可以始於今天，但絕不能止於今天。具素質的教育規劃，需具長遠的目標及方向，若只處理好當下，如何培養年青的一代為明天服務？教育孩子，學校責無旁貸，但培養孩子成長與發展、確立新一代的品德、學養與識見，是整個政府、整個社會的共同責任。若這個五年施政計劃欠缺了有關教育的檢視及規劃，付出代價的，是今天之後的整個社會。我們承擔得來嗎？

 

香港中學校長會主席

李雪英

二零一三年一月七日