Affordability, accessibility, and accountability: Perceived impacts of the Pre-primary Education Vouchers in Hong Kong

2010 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 125-138 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hui Li ◽  
Jessie Ming Sin Wong ◽  
X. Christine Wang
2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Diana Phooi-Yan Lee ◽  
Su-Hie Ting

The study examines the influence of parents’ educational background on the selection of language of instruction for their children’s primary education and their beliefs on the impact of language of instruction on children’s academic capabilities, career prospect and personal characteristics. A survey was conducted on 400 Chinese parents with a child in primary one in Kuching, Sarawak. The results showed that the parents’ educational background influenced their choice of language of instruction for their children’s primary education. The Chinese-educated parents in Kuching are more likely to enrol their children in Chinese-medium schools while English- and Malay-educated parents prefer Malay-medium schools. The Chinese-educated parents choose Chinese-medium school as they believed that their children would have better career prospects, more useful qualifications, academic competencies, particularly in Mandarin, mathematics and science, and greater appreciation of Chinese culture. The Chinese-educated parents also believed that their children would be proficient in English and Bahasa Malaysia, hardworking, open-minded and racially tolerant but the English- and Malay-medium educated parents disagreed on these perceived impacts of Chinese education and believed that their children studying in Malay-medium schools are just as likely to have these characteristics. The findings suggest that parental choice of school language of instruction may be a proxy for choosing the school culture associated with Chinese- and Malay-medium schools.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fozia Nazir Lone ◽  
Bonnie Wing-Yin Chow

PurposeThis review study focuses on the framework for pre-primary education and language acquisition for non-Chinese-speaking students (NCS students) from ethnic minority families (EM families) in Hong Kong.Design/methodology/approachThis paper adopts a multidisciplinary perspective that involves both assessing the broader governing framework and researching their specific needs. In its overview of the significant changes made in recent years and an exploration of the gaps in the framework, with reference to other jurisdictions, along with input from developmental psychology as it relates to the issues faced by NCS students.FindingsThis study contributes to the literature on how to shape further policies and reforms to optimize learning of NCS children in Hong Kong from a young age. This helps NCS students and families achieve their right to education and equal opportunities and schools to cater the needs of these students and families, which is essential to providing an enriched learning environment for our children regardless of their ethnicity.Originality/valueThis study uses multidisciplinary approach to study pre-primary education and Chinese language acquisition of ethnic minority students in Hong Kong.


2016 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 68-74
Author(s):  
Wing Sum WONG

LANGUAGE NOTE | Document text in Chinese; abstract also in English. Pre-primary education aims at assuring a balanced development of physical fitness, intelligence, language, interpersonal relation and emotion, nurturing interest of learning, as well as preparing for formal education in the future. Physical activity seems to be part of the pre-primary education in Hong Kong. However, time spent on physical activities in the current pre-primary curriculum is significantly reduced when comparing with that of thirty years ago. Based on the methodology of anthropology, fieldwork was carried out. The study design adopted qualitative and quantitative research methods and aimed at exploring in what extent principals, officers and teachers of kindergartens in Hong Kong were concerned about physical activity patterns of preschool children, understanding how they critiqued the environment and facilities in relation to physical activities, and knowing how they commented to their self-efficacy on leading pre-primary physical activities. It was found that physical activity had not been addressed adequately in the curriculum design of pre-primary education in Hong Kong. The self-efficacy on leading pre-primary physical activities was quite low among pre-primary teachers. The environment and availability of facilities were not favorable to the execution of pre-primary physical activity programmes. Physical education orientates pre-primary education in the future. 學前教育是要使幼兒在體能、智慧、語言、社群及情緒等方面有均衡的發展,並培養他們對學習的興趣,為日後的教育作好準備。香港學前教育應該或多或少包含身體活動元素,然而相對於三十年前的課程,現時幼稚園課程冢內的身體活動時數似乎大幅減少了。本研究以人類學常用的田野調查作為方法論,採用定性與定量研究合併的互補取徑,探討香港幼稚園校長、主任和老師對幼兒身體活動的關注程度,以及瞭解她們對活動環境配套和帶領身體活動的自我效能評價。研究發現香港學前教育課程設計對幼兒身體活動的關注程度不足,老師帶領身體活動的自我效能評價普遍偏低,而且幼稚園的活動環境配套不利於幼兒身體活動的執行。幼兒體育應該是香港學前教育的未來導向。


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