論香港教育III

Here are my thoughts after reading what Jennifer and Thomas had to say about the education system in Hong Kong.

(1)   Media do play a part in the game but I do not think it is as exaggerated as stated. It may just be convenient for people to blame it on someone or something else when things do not go their way.

(2)   I think the examination system in Hong Kong is good. However, some improvements could be made on how examination questions are being set. For example, multiple-choice questions are not good, as students cannot express themselves in answering such questions. Students should be given a chance to elaborate their answers in examinations. I had a chance to study abroad for a number of years and I found that students from Hong Kong were generally rather bright when compared with local students; this might be the positive outcome of the education system in Hong Kong even though it is not perfect.

(3)   To me, the aim of education is to teach people the required knowledge, and “that knowledge” could be different for everybody as everyone has different needs. If one is no good inside the education system, then one should leave, and do something else, may be something they like or good at. There is no one system that could please everyone. In Hong Kong, free or subsidized education is a benefit for Hong Kong people and only those who appreciate it should be “allowed” to enjoy such benefit.

(4)   “Result” is not the most important thing in everything but it is important and in a lot of things. It does show how much you have absorbed from what you have learnt and whether one could apply the knowledge learnt into practice. Who would like to be taught by a teacher who had failed many examinations before? Also, “result” can be used as a sign to tell whether a student is in need of any help in certain areas.

(5)   People involved in the education system have the responsibility to and can provide “mental support” for students. These people could be teachers, social workers, family members and friends etc., these people are not necessarily need to be “religious”, even though in some cases it would help.

(6)   I find it difficult to teach children about “critical thinking” at a young age, as they are not completely developed cognitively. I think children pick things up as they move on, so it is important for the people around them to act as good role models. Tertiary education is very useful as it may be the best time for students to learn to think critically with a cognitively developed mind.

(7)   There are a lot of factors influencing a person’s behaviour and people cannot just blame it on the education system. Instead of just criticizing the system, it may be more useful if one could think of some solutions, especially educators who are more directly involved with students. Furthermore, when being critical, one has to be compentent in doing so (i.e. well equipped with the knowledge and the skills required).

 J Pompeii