[lg policy] Hong Kong: EDB supports schools to implement whole-school language policy

[Harold Schiffman]

EDB supports schools to implement whole-school language policy


Hong Kong (HKSAR) - The Permanent Secretary for Education, Mr Raymond
Wong, said at the opening ceremony of the Reading Fair 2010 today
(April 24) that the Education Bureau (EDB) fully supported schools to
implement their whole-school language policy. "The whole-school
language policy, which consists of school-based support measures,
should not merely focus on how much English teaching is adopted by
schools. "The key issue should rather be the coherence and entirety of
the overall curriculum planning under the New Senior Secondary
Academic Structure, as well as language education, which includes
reading strategies.

"Only by doing so can students' learning effectiveness be safeguarded
and their proficiency in both Chinese and English be developed," he
said. To support schools to implement their whole-school language
policy, the EDB had invited primary schools to apply for the English
Enhancement Grant Scheme for Primary Schools. The bureau would also
apply to the Legislative Council for additional funding for the
Language Fund, Mr Wong added.

The funding, he said, would enable secondary schools to launch or
enhance their school-based initiatives under the English Enhancement
Scheme in order to dovetail with the fine-tuned medium of instruction
(MOI) arrangements. This will further strengthen the effectiveness of
cross-curricular English learning. On measures to support schools in
implementing the fine-tuned MOI arrangements, Mr Wong said the EDB
would continue to provide diversified professional support to schools
and teachers.

"We will organise briefing sessions and workshops on raising teachers'
awareness of teaching non-language subjects in English in early May
and will be launching training courses for serving teachers from June
onwards," he said. He said the Reading Fair 2010 had combined two
major themes - "whole-school language policy planning" and "reading
across the curriculum". This year's event was held following the
success of the Reading Fair held in 2009 and last November's Knowledge
Fair 2009.

It was also the second sharing session the EDB had organised to
support schools and teachers in the implementation of the fine-tuned
MOI arrangements. Mr Wong noted the collaboration within the education
sector and the abundant resources devoted by the EDB to promote
reading. He also said that students had to learn the skills of
"reading to learn" to enhance their overall learning effectiveness and
capacity for life-long learning and whole-person development.

He said, "Although Hong Kong students' reading literacy ranks high in
many international assessments, we still need to continue to reinforce
our efforts in strengthening language education, promoting reading
across the curriculum and enhancing home-school co-operation in order
to help students achieve life-long learning.¡¨ More than 300 primary
and secondary school principals and teachers participated in the
Reading Fair 2010. The Chairman of the Standing Committee on Language
Education and Research, Professor Cheng Kai-ming, gave the welcoming
speech while the Associate Dean of the Faculty of Education,
University of Hong Kong, Professor Tse Shek-kam, delivered the keynote
speech. The event featured 12 parallel sessions where schools shared
their experiences in promoting reading.

Some secondary schools shared their strategies in promoting reading
across the curriculum to support diversified MOI arrangements.

Source: HKSAR Government

http://7thspace.com/headlines/342423/edb_supports_schools_to_implement_whole_school_language_policy.html

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