Lam Tai-fai urged the government to properly handle the controversy surrounding TSA. File Photo: RTHK
The chairman of the Legislative Council’s education panel has warned that the controversy surrounding a city-wide exam for students may become a political crisis for the government, if it does not handle the issue properly.
Lam Tai-fai was speaking on an RTHK programme, after chairing a special Legco hearing over the Territory-wide System Assessment (TSA) on Sunday. Most of the members of the public attending the hearing voiced strong opposition to the controversial exams.
Lam warned that the problem might become “a repeat of the national education saga” and urged the education chief not to underestimate its seriousness.
In 2012, more than 100,000 people protested outside the government headquarters, forcing the administration to shelve the controversial national education curriculum. Critics accused the proposed subject of trying to brainwash students with communist and nationalist ideology.
TSA was implemented by the Education Bureau in 2004 to gauge information about students’ strengths and weaknesses in Chinese, English and mathematics. Although the government said there’s no need for students to revise or prepare for the assessment, many schools keep drilling their students and assigning excessive homework. The assessment is held for students in Primary Three and Six, and Form Three every year.
Meanwhile a concern group that's against TSA for primary school children has urged the government to suspend the exams for this academic year.
Its spokesman, Ho Mei-yee, said this would allow time for the government to decide whether there is a need for the assessment. A three month review on the TSA is currently underway.
The call comes as the acting secretary for Education Kevin Yeung, said the government may revamp the TSA if it is found to be ineffective after the review to be completed early next year.
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Last updated: 2015-11-30 HKT11:53
http://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1226693-20151130.htm
