Chinese or English

All my life, we have been debating the medium of instruction in Hong Kong. Most people seem to assume that there should just be one language, and the question is simply: which one.

The fact is, many children can master two languages, even two languages as different as Chinese and English - if they (and their parents) are determined enough and are given the appropriate environment.

It is not the government’s role to dictate who should learn in which language. It is arrogant of the government to assume that it knows better than the parents and the students themselves what is good for them. People who really want it, and are willing to work hard for it, should be given the chance to try. The community’s, and the government’s role is to provide the environment for those who want to, to try to learn the language, or languages, of their choice. Most people want to learn both.

The reality is that there are not enough good English teachers, and teachers who can teach well in English. The environment for learning and using English in daily life is also insufficient, and have been in decline since 1997.

Does the community have the will to make the effort and sacrifices, to help its children to succeed and soar like a kite?