Chat Time 20 - Improving Hong Kong’s Education System

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Questions

1. Are the education systems in Western countries better than the one in Hong Kong?
   a. Western education is definitely better because it allows students to learn more actively and independently while Hong Kong’s education system is spoon-feeding and very exam-orientated.
   b. The best aspects about Western education are its independent thinking and innovation. Hong Kong’s education system places a heavy emphasis on memorization and constant testing.

2. What are the possible changes to Hong Kong’s education system?
   a. Students should be taught how to think and the student-teacher ratio should be reduced.
   b. Hong Kong’s education system should focus less on test scores and more on rewarding students for their creativity. It should introduce new and innovative approaches to teaching and motivating students.

3. How can teachers encourage students to think creatively and independently?
  a.The simplest way is to encourage students to ask questions and guide them towards discovering the answer on their own.
   b. To encourage students to think creatively and independently, teachers need to maintain students’ natural sense of curiosity, let them examine problems and solve problems on their own.

Individual Response

1. Do you think memorization helps students learn? Why/Why not?
   a. I think memorization is an inefficient way to learn because learning without understanding is of little use.
   b. I regard memorization as an essential tool for students. It’s the surest way to retain important facts. Students could not learn to reason critically without factual knowledge.

2. Would you like to study in a Western country?
  a. I prefer the Western education system which encourages students to study with interest and offers them more opportunities to develop themselves and discover their abilities.
  b.I’m fed up with the Hong Kong education system which focuses too much on the academic result and public examination. I prefer the western one which is more liberal and enjoyable.

3. How can teachers encourage students to ask more questions or talk more?
 Teachers can divide students into pairs or small groups. Students find it easier to speak to small groups than to an entire class.

4. Are there aspects of Hong Kong’s education system that should not be changed?
  Some good aspects of the new secondary curriculum are worth keeping such as carrying out small-group teaching, conducting school-based assessments and organizing learning experiences.

5. If you could change Hong Kong’s education system, what would you change? Why?
  I would implement small class teaching in all schools in Hong Kong as students will receive more individual attention and have more opportunity to speak. Students will also be exposed to more information and learn more.