Log Entry 002 - Thoughts on the Hong Kong education curriculum

(SCT Session #03)

It's difficult to comment on the current education curriculum when I am but an associate teacher (and inclusive educator) that, by the current education system itself, is considered not part of the system. Regardless of my position at school, however, I still work with students day-in, day-out, and am aware of the progress in which they learn.

There isn't one perfect curriculum that can cater for all students alike, and the Official Curriculum designed by the Education Bureau's Curriculum Development Institute (CDI) is no different. However, working as an educator first in a "band 1" school in Sham Shui Po and later in a "band 3" school in Tuen Mun has really made me question if the Official Curriculum really reflects current-day education. Personally, it doesn't seem to factor in learner diversity enough. That, or the CDI is situated on the island side of Hong Kong, where most of the more motivated and well-behaved students study.

This accusation is, of course, not true; there are still many studious and ambitious students in Kowloon and New Territories that are benefiting from the current education curriculum. However, a huge gap in learning diversity is truly an issue here; it is not only a problem observed within the same classroom, but also among schools within the same districts too. It is a problem in Hong Kong. Students with special educational needs (SEN) is just part of the problem. A failure to respond in a timely matter regarding such issues is the bigger problem here.

Imagine a classroom of around 15 students, of which five have Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD) such as Dyslexia. Another two have Intellectual Disability (ID), where the children can't even name the English alphabet, in order or not. A couple more students have Attention Deficit/Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) and have trouble focusing long enough to retain what they have learned, in class or at home, and yet a few more students have Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) - don't even get me started on what kinds of learning needs they require - academically and otherwise. Then, if a teacher is lucky, one of the kids with ADHD might also have Conduct Disorder (CD) or Obedience Defiance Disorder (ODD). These are only the ones that where diagnosed and reported. One must also keep in mind that SEN rarely come singularly. Besides all these SEN to look out for, there are still those who are "normal" on record but lack motivation in learning in general and not just in English.

The school depicted is an example of a mainstream school in the "lower bandings". The "band 1" school I have worked at perhaps has a few students with SEN that managed to pass the entrance exam, however, there aren't much else support for them overall. You might ask, really now, are you being dramatic here?

The fact of the matter is, even if it might be an extreme example and is considered a minority, it still doesn't change the fact that there are schools out there that the Official Curriculum has not been able to look out for.

Even when you take "SEN" out of the picture (which in all honesty is unrealistic), students' proficiency level are varied and the current Official Curriculum has yet to take into account the vase gap in learning diversity and learners' motivation. It is as if it's assuming that most students within a classroom wishes to learn and are within similar learning levels. The running of a school has its limits and it seems more and more often to observe a huge learning gap within the same classroom, both in terms of learning differences and motivation.

If a student fails to learn or gain interest in learning it is the fault of the teacher.

Hong Kong prides itself as having a higher educational standards and high quality teachers due to unified teacher training. The Post-Graduate Diploma of Education (PGDE) offers training to prospective teachers in subject-teaching and management of students with SEN in general. I myself is training under this quality training. Yet the training is still far from the reality that most front-line teachers must deal with.

We are supposed to nurture students' interest and teach our subjects catering for individual learner diversity when in fact many students within the same classroom are not close in their understanding of the English Language. Students in certain distracts "know more" and "behave better" while students in other districts struggle to follow the SOW derived from the Official Curriculum.

Perhaps, I'm young and naive, inexperience from not being able to truly teach on my own as an educator. Perhaps I'm being negative and extreme in my feelings.

However, the gap I see between what many of my students are suppose to know by now and what they actually know is so far away. It is concerning to say the least. Many people have said I should just go teach at a school with more capable students, but is that really the solution? These students are not really being looked after by the education system, especially if some teachers’ solution is to change schools, but it seems like it takes a long while for someone behind the lines to notice...

Perhaps, in time and with experience, I would have something more accurate and constructive to say about the current education system. Perhaps by then, I would have come up with my own teaching style and strategies to help care for all kinds of learning needs that my students may have.

Then again, why wait? Why not start now? I really need more strategies to help students who can't spell... is teaching phonics helpful? How regular? In class? The silver lining is that I am still only a co-teacher (assistant teacher of sorts), and in theory have more time to figure these things out before it is my time to truly teach on my own.

#PGDE #education #reflectiveblog #HongKongeducationcurriculum #officialcurriculum