MR CHAN KIN-POR (in Cantonese): Thank you, Deputy President. The implementation of positive education can enable students to enjoy learning, build up a good teacher-student relationship and enhance their sense of commitment to school life. I would like to thank Mr CHU Kwok-keung for proposing today’s motion and Ms Lillian KWOK for her amendment, which enables us to discuss this topic.
First of all, I strongly agree that the implementation of positive education and putting emphasis on the development of students’ personality as a whole is more important than academic performance, and this is the ultimate mode of long-term education development. I believe that the true meaning of education is to cultivate students’ interests so that they can give play to their strengths and meet the needs of the market. If students have not yet discovered their interests, it is paramount for parents and teachers to assist them in identifying their interests and fostering them with utmost care. With genuine interest in their chosen fields, coupled with their diligent efforts, I believe they will be able to carve out a niche for themselves.
To put positive education into practice, the authorities should introduce positive education elements into the teaching objectives for schools to follow. To put happy learning into practice, stereotyping students is absolutely a big taboo. Finland is considered as one of the most successful countries in the world in putting positive education into practice. Finland opposes any kind of ranking of students, not to mention elite or remedial classes. The core value of their education emphasizes the spirit of equality, so students with high levels of cognitive ability or learning delays are treated equally, and students with learning difficulties are even provided with more resources. It is because they believe that smart students have the ability to learn and progress on their own and the pace of teaching will not hinder their development. Looking at the situation in Hong Kong, the report cards of many schools do not show the ranking of students but only scores so that students and parents can focus on their own goals. But in the long run, the importance attached to academic performance should be gradually reduced, such as reducing the frequency of examinations, implementing random class placement, and encouraging completion of homework at school whenever feasible. Goals should also be set according to the circumstances of individual students to promote all-round development. In terms of curriculum arrangement, teachers can facilitate students’ exploration of their interests and potentials by incorporating diverse activities in the classroom. They can also take students outdoors for learning activities without being restricted by the inherent framework of textbooks or study plans, so as to give play to their creativity and independent thinking and foster well-being in schools.
Cooperation of parents is also very important. The current examination-driven model in Hong Kong is highly competitive and can easily make students and even parents frustrated, and gradual improvement is necessary. If parents only focus on academic scores and fail to encourage or recognize students’ interests, this will often leads to a detrimental impact on self-confidence and well-being. The authorities should educate parents in feasible ways on the importance of refraining from comparing their children to others, but instead fostering the exploration and cultivation of their individual interests and strengths in learning, thus facilitating their all-round development and utilization of their strengths.
The implementation of positive education requires the collaboration of the entire community, including parents, teachers and employers, to change the traditional concepts of the community, comprehensively implement positive education, and focus on students’ social skills, creativity and positive thinking against difficulties. We hope the Education Bureau can consider how to really promote positive education to primary and secondary schools as well as kindergartens, so as to prevent schools and parents from putting excessive emphasis on students’ academic performance, which will affect their physical and mental development.
Secretary Dr CHOI was once a school principal and I believe she understands better than us the problems with the education system in Hong Kong. However, the Secretary has inherited a very heavy education system with many problems, and I trust that it will be very difficult to rely on her strength alone, regardless of how well-intentioned she is. Yet, I hope the Secretary will understand that we need to kick off improvement, regardless of the obstacles we may encounter. I hope she can convince all education officials to understand that by taking this step one day earlier, education in Hong Kong will become better earlier, and students or children will have healthier development, which is of paramount importance to the overall development of Hong Kong. I hope the Secretary will struggle on.
Thank you, Deputy President.