Examining worrying aspects of Hong Kong's education system
Updated: 2016-04-28 07:09
By Harry Ong(HK Edition)
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More and more our attention is turned to the education scene, especially since it is increasingly obvious that many young minds in our universities and secondary schools are being guided along the wrong pathways. This realization, combined with the far-reaching influence of the IT revolution, is proving a wake-up call to many parents unable to come to terms with the rebellious attitudes of their sons and daughters, which most find inexplicable.
In this context it is noteworthy that an assistant professor at Lingnan University has made public the fact that his contract will not be renewed when it expires in August. The scholar concerned, Horace Chin Wan-kan, better known as "Chin Wan", was one of the leaders of the "localism" movement involved in the illegal "Occupy Central" demonstrations of 2014. He is also the author of Hong Kong City-State Theory, published in 2011, which some critics saw as stirring up anti-government feelings in the minds of malleable youths. Chin commented stiffly, "I am being forced out of the campus for criticizing the Hong Kong government and supporting the 'Occupy' movement in 2014." That, of course, is Chin's interpretation of events. Whether that dovetails with the facts is another matter.
However, the fact remains teachers do exert no small amount of influence over the thinking process of their students. And they could inculcate in the students an inquisitive but constructive mindset, or a disruptive one just for the sake of opposition.
Let us now move on to another very worrying situation involving students, the search to find ways of curbing the extremely alarming suicide rate among this group, even in children of 12 or less. An intriguing theory has now emerged - that the solution might lie in our students being required to take part in far more sport and physical activity.
An expert in the field, Robin Mellecker of the University of Hong Kong's Institute of Human Performance, has dumbfounded educationists by pointing out that inmates of our jails get an hour's exercise outdoors every day - more than our students. She points out that exercise releases "happy hormones" that have a favorable effect on young minds, stimulating their learning processes. Mellecker adds that taking part in sport increases self-esteem and the "coping mechanisms" of young people.
Others in the sociological field are supporting the proposed additional activities, pointing out that various sporting activities, combined with playtime breaks, not only introduce the competitive physical factor to growing children but provide them with more satisfaction in different fields than do classroom lessons - not to mention the beneficial direct social interaction between peers, which has been significantly reduced by their obsession with telecommunication devices.
But urging a switch to considerably expanded sport and recreational activities in schools and schools actually having the sports grounds and other facilities to cope with those new demands are two very different things. The plain fact is that because of the shortage of land in Hong Kong, public schools are not allocated land for track and field events, nor stadia where the kids can cheer on classmates.
Happily, all is not lost; every district across Hong Kong has a reasonably wide range of sports and recreational facilities originally built by the former urban and regional councils, including multi-story indoor games complexes that can quickly be adapted to a range of different sports. Also, both councils provided stadia on either side of the harbor where schools stage their annual sporting championships. Additionally, swimming pool complexes are generously allocated in most districts and we have many beaches, the busiest manned by lifeguards.
Parents should now brace themselves for another shock: In an overdue blow to nerds, elite universities in the US like Harvard and Yale are no longer selecting new students based on their academic records, but on their track record of significant achievements in various aspects of society, with emphasis on voluntary work!
A report by the Harvard Graduate School of Education says the reforms generally cover universities across the country and "place emphasis on concern for the broader interests of society rather than individual success".
Every year US universities are swamped with applications from domestic and overseas academic overachievers, whose brilliant results previously almost guaranteed they were "parachuted" into places. Instead, students are now advised to cultivate one or two outside interests that develop character, a sense of responsibility and leadership.
Oh dear, think of the knock-on effects some of these developments will deliver to parents of many of our best-performing school students. Instead of their children swotting to pass exams they'll be wrenched away from their desks and forced to exercise! And when they arrive at these world-famous institutions of higher learning for an admission interview, those who are not prepared will be surprised when asked what civic responsibilities they've been performing back home!
The author is an international businessman and long-time observer of Asian affairs.
(HK Edition 04/28/2016 page10)