伝達始 [transmission start]
Comrade Yuri himself has quite a bit to say about the Hong Kong Education system - and mostly about its flaws and negative aspects. But before he begins to discuss any of this, we must all somehow bear in mind that no education system in the world, has ever stood perfect and faultless.
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The education system, ideally goes hand in hand in influencing the economy and to a larger extent, society as a whole. However, without a doubt, education must also serve the needs and interests of the individual that experiences it, the student.
After years under British colonial rule, Hong Kong's system is quite comprehensive in its education in the English language. Literacy in English in Hong Kong overall is probably much respectable, compared to that with another "advanced" counterpart, Japan. In Hong Kong, the English language is and its fundamentals are introduced quite precisely. Where I teach, I am part of the mechanism that shows Kindergarten/Early Primary children the basics of English. It is true, that language exposure, especially at an earlier age, brings about quite some noticeable effect on language literacy.
The system itself, especially concerning mainstream education from the Primary and Secondary stages is unique in its own concept. It maybe true that the exam system is by name and thought, borrowed from the British system (A-Levels). However, the way education has been facilitated for many years in Hong Kong, has been quite Chinese in character.
Traditional Chinese education doctrine roots a lot from memorizing, drilling for examinations, and overall, a force-feeding of the syllabus into the young mind. This is the major and prevailing criticism of education in Hong Kong. I am inclined to agree: I believe that education here has lost its definitional meaning. It is no longer "actual learning", but meaningless memorization and drilling for exams, and to earn pieces of paper known as degrees and qualification. Hence, the competitive and machine-like nature.
This can prove to be destructive in both micro and macro aspects. For the individual student, it is probably a form of brainwashing and ill-mannered conditioning. They are told that such things are actually the measure of success in life. Psychologically, this can affect self-esteem drastically and to a further extent, fail to inspire motivation for the student to study, which should have been one of the purposes of education in the first place. For both the individual and the rest of society, a sad fact is that students graduate with nothing much that is useful and practical. In all their years of study, there are still a lot of courses and subjects that are somewhat, pointless and doubtful in how learning anything from them benefits both the future of the student and the people around him/er. These subjects, which I have termed as "rocks" are burdensome, only worth studying for its exam and extra credit - only to be worked for the numbers one can earn out of it.
University education is also, not exempt from this problem. The University of Hong Kong is ranked (currently) as the top tertiary institution in Asia (
QS World Rankings). However, how is this "quality" truly measured and
quantified? Student experience is usually rife with complaints about being "forced" to take random, unrelated courses simply to meet programme credit requirements. Indeed, there are courses that just somehow,
need to be taken, whether or not they were even fully augmentative to the programme's intended learning outcomes. The issue of how heavy the typical schoolchild's school bag and homework load at Primary schools is and has been the talk of some concerned observers. Some of the parents, who traditionally have been those who have pushed schools to work their children like horses simply because they feel this makes them competitive, have also begun to question the absurd amount of work the youngest of children are subjected to.
Previously, the culture in Hong Kong's Secondary education system centered much around two examinations: the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination (HKCEE, now defunct as of 2010), and the Hong Kong Advanced Level Examinations (HKALE, its final cohort generations finish off within this and the next school years). It was nothing but a mere competition for future places in University, void of skill and practical meaning. Hence came with it, the culture of cram schools, mindless drilling and memorization into how to pass/ace the exam, not so much on what the subject matter really was. This somehow is both a result and reinforcement of the traditional Chinese/Asian ideal that examinations are largely, the defining point of education. "Exam-focused" was one of the keywords to describe the Hong Kong education system.
In the years of 2006-2007, a new generation of students were put forth in a new system, the result of the much needed and discussed education reform - the New Senior Secondary (NSS) system curricula. Its new exam, the Hong Kong Diploma in Secondary Education (HKDSE) is to succeed the moribund HKCEE and HKALE, replacing two exam tiers with one final one at the end of a shortened tenure of Secondary education. Indeed, this probably may have been a step away from exam-focus and a leap forwards into progress. However, the same problems persist when it comes to coursework and whether or not they achieve any actual learning outcomes. Subject lines such as "Liberal Studies" and History are currently under extreme scrutiny for their apparent ineffectiveness to deliver the research and critical thinking skills they purportedly aim to bring students. It is again, still doubted whether they new programme systems would be able to bring students much needed practical skills needed for employment and further study. We have yet to see how the HKDSE helps in getting graduates jobs and opportunities.
The education system can probably be reformed and revised to focus more on practical, work-related skills and other interests that cater more to everyday life, rather than insisting on the theoretical, textbook, exam-relegated non-sense force fed into students. Work is good, but if it is void of meaning and purpose, it is a waste of life and effort.
But what can we mere students do to change this? The Hong Kong government has always been expert at not listening to the pleas of its people. After all, why fully eliminate the problems in the system that has earned you an elite place in the society? Of course, you will want to do everything possible to keep the throne you've worked so hard to attain. There's no point changing anything if we can never change the minds of idiots in power.
I myself, am very, very disappointed and displeased with education in Hong Kong. I've always hated, how it in itself is a mere lie. It's not opportunity it gives, it's purposeless waste of effort. Not critical thinking, but exams and memorization. Not education, but brainwashing. It is already a fact that after all, not everyone is fortunate enough to land a place in University, but how much has education here provided for the students who end up looking for employment? Even University fresh graduates have difficulty competing for jobs. What is is that is lacking in all their years of education?
I've already pretty much, given up hope in the system. It is bound to prevail or eat itself, either way, I no longer care. All I know is that what is more important is what the student him/herself takes from all these years of study. The willingness to learn, to achieve, to find and work for what they want with what they've picked up from school. Education, teachers, and schools after all, only provide part of the individual's learning experience. There is so much more out there that one can learn and pick up as a skill and interest. So much more that means grander, helpful, and purposeful than any piece of paper used for degree qualifications.
Intelligence and ability are one thing, but marks, GPA, Degrees Qualifications, Diplomas and all that, are still just paper in the end, and always will be. Human intelligence evolves and improves, paper only gets old.
If change is to come from anywhere, it's from the common public. It's from the students and teachers, not the system. It rises, bottom-up, not from those powerful bureaucrats in the government who at times can be themselves be ignorant. Hence, we the people cannot afford to be ignorant and idle.
My main point for a solution: The students of Hong Kong must take a proactive attitude and find the skills and improvement that they need and want to compensate for what the system fails to give. Teachers on the other hand, and hopefully myself too, should also take an active part in shaping this attitude among students. This is after all, what learning really is about. This is how we can reverse the brainwashing how it has long enslaved many and led them to think that opportunity is long gone due to their failures in the system.
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That is all about this issue. The next entry, will be the final, closing transmission of Operation 53. Until then, Comrade Yuri wishes all confronting HKU SPACE examinations the best of luck and effort.
伝達終 [transmission end]
