1960s V Today's Education in Hong Kong

1960s v today's education in Hong Kong

Today's education in Hong Kong is very different compared to the education in the 1960s in Hong Kong. The differences include the education systems, society's attitudes towards education and society's expectations towards students.

For the society's attitudes and expectations towards students and education in the 1960s, the internet (Wikipedia) reviewed that the education system in the 1960s was very similar to British's. All schools required high quality education from teachers and achieving high standard from students. For example, students are required to get at least six "A" s (Excellence) in nine subjects in order to get into the next level. The education system in 1960s were described as "spoon-fed" because schools were extremely competitive and were so concerned on discipline which made students learn slowly. Furthermore,education system in the 1960s is very discriminatory. For example, only students with good grades with not less than eight "A" s in the final exam can enter the university. Also, students are expected to focus on academic studies instead of physical development or creativity (sports or art) with the purpose of gaining entrance to university. As Hong Kong was a British colony before 1997, students had no emphasis to learning Chinese, as English is the most important. More information from a news article pointed out that students are expected to be self-organized, independent and show disciplines and manners wherever they were. For example students were required to have their meal with table manners at school.

For society's attitudes and expectations towards students and education today, the internet (Wikipedia) reviewed that schooling system is more relax and has less discipline, manners to obtain. Students put more focus on sports, arts and extra-curricular activities but still mostly on academic studies. For example in the 1960s, students spend a day for school, homework and studies. But today, students spend less than half of the day for school work and the rest of the day is for extra-curricular activities and relaxing. Furthermore, in today's education, the society expect that education should be provide to everyone, so therefore the government stated a new policy- All public schools are for free for nine years. Also, education nowadays focus on developing students equally conversion in both English and Chinese instead of just English like in the 1960s. More information from a news article pointed out that students nowadays are expected the ability to plan, evaluate and be organized. Also, in the 1960s, people are too poor to afford university, so not many people can enter university. But today, the government put more resources on university, more opportunity for students to enter university, so competition is less keen. Furthermore, the middle class family