SHIRLEY ZHAO SHIRLEY.ZHAO@SCMP.COM
PUBLISHED : Wednesday, 11 November, 2015, 7:00am
UPDATED : Wednesday, 11 November, 2015, 7:00am
Controversy broke out over Eddie Ng's attendance rate at Legco education panel meetings. Photo: Dickson Lee
The chairman of the Legislative Council's education panel lashed out at the education minister yesterday, criticising him for misleading the public by claiming full attendance at panel meetings last year.
Lam Tai-fai's criticism came after Secretary for Education Eddie Ng Hak-him told media yesterday that he had attended "100 per cent" of the panel's meetings last year.
Lam, a pro-establishment lawmaker, said Ng had not told "the whole truth". He provided statistics which showed that although Ng had attended every meeting over the past three years, he often left before the sessions were even half completed.
Last year, Ng attended 20 out of 35 items discussed during 11 panel meetings, making an item attendance rate of 57 per cent. In 2013-14, he attended 15 out of 31 items, or an attendance rate of 48 per cent. In 2012-13, he attended 17 out of 39 items, making an attendance rate of only 43.6 per cent.
The education sector is having many troubles right now. At such an important time, I sincerely invite the minister ... not to be lazy and irresponsible
LAWMAKER LAM TAI-FAI
"I hope the minister can stick to the facts and stop using the art of language to mislead the media and the public," said Lam. "The education sector is having many troubles right now. At such an important time, I sincerely invite the minister ... not to be lazy and irresponsible..."
An Education Bureau spokesman said Ng's statement yesterday was based on a survey on attendance rates at Legco meetings last year.
"His attendance rate was 100 per cent," said the spokesman. "Facts speak louder than words."
He said Ng felt it was "unfortunate" if the meeting attendance rate was "misunderstood or even twisted" to become an item attendance rate.
http://m.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1877632/hong-kong-education-minister-slammed-over-legislative
