Mr. Kevin Y. S. Li
It is commonly believed that education is a key of entrance into university and to better career prospects, rather than facilitation of educating autonomous beings in the community. With the strong emphasis on economic prosperity and success of Hong Kong, the curriculum planner tries to maintain the economic status of Hong Kong around the world. This can be reflected on the emphasis on both English and Chinese language in school syllabus and the academic-oriented approach of the whole curriculum. Such belief is inherent in the handbook "School Education in Hong Kong" , in which Government set out its own aims and objectives as the directive thought to guide the teachers and education practitioners in their own career. However, I do not totally agree with those aims. Let's take some of principles as examples.
Principle 1 states that "The statement of aims should relate to the school education service, not to education in its broader sense". The ideology behind this statement is to maintain "service" style of education, that is, schooling. I would like to hold another point of view, that is, schooling should not be the whole part of education. We should not take schooling as a sole agent of education for granted, and regard it as welfare policy, but as a measure to decentralise the power in the form of knowledge from the upper institution, like professions and ruling class. As a challenge to the present capitalist system, students should have the right and chances to expose to different kinds of political ideology, which should be carried in intended or hidden curriculum, like civic or moral education. Rather than indoctrination of the capitalist ideology, students should be able to bear a critical mind towards different kinds of emerging political systems.
Apart from the Underlying Principles, there are also several fundamental aims. The Aim (1) is that "Every child should attend school full-time for at least nine years, and should have access to a school place in the public sector throughout the period of compulsory education." Let's go back to history of compulsory education in Hong Kong, Governor Maclehose in 1978 was criticised as allowing the existence of child labour , and lower social class students losing their education opportunities. He then imposed such a policy to avoid the threats of economic sanction by other countries. Such policy immediately gains support from the general public and regarded as a welfare from the Government. After nearly 20 years of implementation, the spirit of equal opportunity based on economic background in the policy has lacked behind as the development of other kinds of education stratification occurs within school system. However, functionalism does not talk about equal opportunities at all.
Aim (7) states that "School education should aim to meet the community's need for people who can contribute to Hong Kong's social and economic development". My question is "what is community's need?" This obviously follows the tradition of functionalism on the functions of individual contribution and participation to meet the institutional interests. Also, this aim echoes the government usual emphasis on the economic success, and the will to maintain the status quo in the world economy. The government officials usually bear and convey the traditional ideology that Hong Kong should play a role in functioning as a service center to maintain its status. However, it seems to neglect the concept of global village introduced in AS-level syllabus the module of Modern World in Liberal Studies - a modern concept that promote the real equality among all countries, without exploitation and discrimination.
In Aim (12), "Schools should help students to become aware of Hong Kong as a society; to develop a sense of civic duty, responsibility to the family and service to the community; and to exercise tolerance in interacting with others." I think that this aim is lack of basis toward such behaviour, that is, a lack of sense of belonging. It seems that every citizen in Hong Kong should give up some part of their life to the community service. However, without that sense, how can they feel responsible to the construction of community? Another question is that 'what is the purpose of emphasising the phrase "to exercise tolerance in interacting with others"?' This seems to imply a common practice that avoids violence and maintain social stability in the community. To maintain the status quo, the upper social class hope all kinds of social action to be, such as rational, tolerance, and peace to avoid its collapse.
Functionalism perpetuates this handbook. In Hong Kong's context, the young people who go through schooling should be able to survive to attain a certain position in society, and maintain its status. They should know the role which the post is playing a part in, and try to conform to it. They also recognise the existing social hierarchy and agree with its differentiation among various status groups and strata. However, it seems to neglect the happenings of "inequality".
Such ideology is also reflected in the actual design and planning of the curriculum. Print (1995) introduced several categories of curriculum design, namely subject-centred, learner-centred, problem-centred, and core designs. In Hong Kong's context, the curriculum is subject-centered and core designs (will be discussed later). However, the recent development in curriculum shows that such academic approach does not meet with educational purpose for all students. Supporters of individual development and their approach to organising the curriculum that emerges from the needs, interests and purposes of students favour learner-centered design. Those who attempt to resolve problems of living that are both individual and social in nature support problem-centered designs. However, those two approaches are usually employed as the teaching strategies in classroom, rather than the measures towards reform of educational and curriculum framework.
The above four curriculum designs are closely related to the conception on curriculum of the curriculum planners. Print also pointed out six different conceptions of curriculum: academic rationalist, cognitive processes, humanistic, social reconstructionist, technological and eclectic conceptions. Hong Kong curriculum planners traditionally hold the first conception. Such academic-oriented approach, though, dominate the education practitioners' conception, Government initiatives to introduce TOC (Target-Oriented Curriculum) into the primary curriculum is a great innovation that shows that education officials' will to shift towards a more learner-centered curriculum with cognitive processes and humanistic conception as basic conception.
The Guides , written by the Curriculum Development Council for different levels of schooling also display the same ideology of education. The introduction of common core curriculum differentiates those minority with "lower achievement" in the language and science subjects. Such differentiation creates different hierarchies and strata in the community. The policy that gives privileges to the students with higher language and science ability should be abolished by providing a wide variety of subjects, including technical and practical, humanities and cultural and aesthetic subjects, neglecting the current practical difficulties in the resources provision in schools. The decision on the core subjects should rest on each student, rather than education expert. Morris, McClelland, Pang and Wan (1995) give a different account on the concept of core. They believe that the core should not be the total of the curriculum, but treated as common courses for all. Traditionally, languages and mathematics are the core courses, but also be treated as more important subjects that are placed most of time to learn. Skilbeck (1990) described it as "centrally determined curriculum elements".
The education and culture critics usually claim that Hong Kong is lack of its own culture. However, the education officials seem to be unaware of the problem. It only states that "Hong Kong is very much influenced by Western culture; but at the same time, it maintains a very strong Chinese culture … Education should help them to develop an appreciation of the Chinese culture, respect for all peoples and their different cultures" It seems to neglect the need to construct our own culture - a culture of Hong Kong. The rise of sub-culture or culture without root shows that there is a need to create a good environment and criteria to nurture our own culture. Education could play a part in it.
In the past, most schools streamed subjects into two or three – arts, science and commercial subjects in the CE level. Most educators thought that students should go into different streams according to their academic abilities. Since girls seem to be bright in rote-learning, they are usually streamed into art subjects that require that kind of learning . Such practice leads to gender stereotype in academic achievement and limits the opportunities of girls in learning science subjects. Figures show that girls in single-sex schools are not different from the boys in academic results in science subjects. The suggestion made by the Guide that student should select a certain number of subjects from different subject groups, say, language, mathematics, science, humanities, cultural, practical and technical, and other cross-curricular learning activities is great progress in order to integrate the various discipline into the curriculum of the students themselves and to avoid hierarchy of the three old streams.
One additional point that should be noted is the genderisation of subjects within each subject group, especially within cultural, practical and technical subject groups. Statistics show that male students dominate Electricity and Electronics, and Design and Technology, while females dominate Home Economics.
The intended curriculum states quite a number of aims to fulfill the spirit of all-round education, but it seems that they put little into practice. The humanities and cultural, practical and technical subjects are still of subordinate position to the languages, science and mathematics subjects. According to education theorists, language and mathematics subjects are basis of all other subjects, but it is also important for students to learn languages through the subjects other then languages subjects. Every subjects have their own language of discourse and context.
The implemented and achieved curriculum is the other major focuses that curriculum planners should look into. The curriculum set by the authority leaves some rooms for the teachers and schools to develop and explore. Teachers may perceive those aims and objectives in different context, and develop their own curriculum package. Schools of different religious background could also influence the implementation and selection curriculum. Of course, teachers' methodology is also a major factor.
Many complaints from students on the curriculum are that it is too academic in the sense that they can only concentrate on those examination subjects rather than others with "practical" and daily-life value. In the research on the opinion on implemented curriculum for students, though schools are recommended by government promoting various teaching strategies, the students think that the curriculum is too academic, difficult ot cope with, not challenging and uninteresting, and dissatisfied with the no-choice arrangement. They would prefer less subjects and more practical subjects offered. They face difficulty in using English as the instructional medium, but asserted that English is the appropriate value in further study and future career. Although their preceived needs are not necessary to be their true needs, their reflection on the current implemented curriculum should be remarked and noted by the education practitioners.
The importance of English as an international language is commonly recognised, rather than a continuation of British colonialism. The language issues are brought into focus when mother tongue become the first or primary language of instruction. English, in my opinion, should become secondary or even foreign language (as important as French and Japanese in Hong Kong). The similar situations are faced by other small regions or countries that rely on international trade such as Singapore, Hong Kong, and Macau.
Morris and Marsh (1993) indicates that in educational terms pupils are clearly able to learn and interact with teachers and classmates most effectively in their mother tongue. In economic terms the returns for investment in English language proficiency are high, for it is both the language of international commerce and a major asset for persons wishing to emigrate or to study in an English-speaking country. Singapore's model may be good for Hong Kong and Macau to pursue, that is, while the government has insisted that the majority of students study English together with any other second language, to try to ensure both a common national language and to preserve the cultural identities of their major ethnic groups, namely the Chinese, Malaysians and Indians. Consequently pupils now study a civic or moral education programme in their mother tongue as it is hoped that this will more effectively inculcate traditional social values.
Except that the criticism on the macroscopic view of curriculum, individual subjects face their own challenge on the value and philosophy hidden - academic-oriented curriculum in the subjects themselves. Recently, Chemistry syllabus has been revised to add the elements of environmental awareness, rather than pursuing advances in academic field . Such attempts are under evaluation. Many subjects in the past are knowledge-oriented and aims at preparing scientists and relevant experts in the society. Nowadays, popularisation of knowledge is the great trend in education. People become more powerful on acquiring a certain field of knowledge and autonomous beings.
In the past, less attention was paid to the hidden curriculum. According to Henry Giroux , the hidden curriculum 'forces students to learn roles, feelings, norms, attitudes and organisational structures of the classroom'. This curriculum threatens student liberty and places them in a highly controlled environment, purely on the basis of the priorities accorded to certain areas of learning and certain desired responses and behaviours. In most cases, hidden curriculum carries the values "hidden" in society through participation in classroom activities, by attending school, and by virtue of the context of school in society. Most values "hidden" in the school environment and the teachers are reproduced in the students. This may lead to the social problems like inequality that cannot be resolved. The development of moral, sex, environmental, and civic education as cross-curricular activities is a good attempt to educate the social-acceptable values to the next generations. As public demand for more education of equality mind, the human rights and gender education should be initiated and documented. The problem is still in the implementation. Should we consciously document all kinds of hidden curriculum to avoid the problems stated by Gidoux?
Many political leaders and social scientists complain the inadequate social awareness of students. They further complain that the schools are not giving them enough social and civic education to students. However, the schools claim that they cannot do so because of inadequate time, material and manpower resources. That the question on time and resources allocation suggested by CDC or implemented in schools is balanced is quite controversial among various social groups, like political groups, commercial sectors, and cultural groups.
To conclude, where is the 'balance point'? If we try to be student-centered in every aspects of education, we should not focus too much on the advancement of knowledge, but pursuing the popularisation of it. How? What is the standard? Who can determine what an individual should learn?
Education and Manpower Branch (1993) School Education in Hong Kong: A Statement of Aims.
Post, D. (1994) "Education Stratification, School Expansion, and Public Policy in Hong Kong", Sociology of Education, 67: 121-139.
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