Hong Kong: Knowledge-Acquisition

[Harold Schiffman]

Knowldege-Acquisition
December 6, 2007

It has been revealed that the language-of-instruction policy has
failed to develop and produce truly bilingual students (Rethink of
language policy urged, SCMP 06 December 2007). The report also
revealed that Hong Kong students do not have self-esteem, lack
motivation to study and that students perform better in their mother
tongue. This revelation must be taken seriously by the Education
Bureau to review the current streaming system in order to tackle the
problem of attaining the goal of biligualism. This task itself is
difficult but a more profound problem as revealed by the report is the
general phenomenon that Hong Kong students lack the desire to seek out
knowledge for their own satisfaction.

There are many hard-working students in Hong Kong, but they generally
do not study for the sake of knowledge-acquisition. Rather it is
mainly done to pass examination and to enter university. There is
nothing wrong with this approach as the students will also learn
knowledge during the process. However, it is more important to make
the students to develop their own passion for study, for knowledge
acquisition to their own satisfaction.

This more fundamental approach can be beneficial in at least two ways.
Firstly, it will boost the students self-esteem after they develop an
intellectual edge over others. Secondly, a passion for something can
possibly last for the rest of a person's life. The student will be
able to set his own knowledge direction, and this can affect his
future career path. The problem is: what can we do to stir up this
desire? Does the Education Bureau ever think of such approach? If not,
I would strongly urge them to do so, for the benefit of the students
and the society.

http://beehaichun.wordpress.com/2007/12/06/knowldege-acquisition/


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