National education kits seen as aid to help learn English

Veteran teachers, however, fear the content of materials may prove difficult for many pupils

Education authorities have suggested students use course materials covering national security and the country’s achievements to help them learn English, with the government publishing its first teaching kit combining the topics.

But veteran English teachers said that while resources provided by the Education Bureau’s materials could give students more exposure to the language, the content was not designed with that purpose in mind and could result in pupils losing interest.

Authorities published national education resource kits in English for primary and secondary pupils last weekend.

The items were also included among reference materials for teachers shared in a circular on this year’s National Security Education Day last week. But the content has not been made compulsory for educators.

The announcement marked the first time the bureau had released teaching and learning materials on national security education for use in English lessons.

The content covers security concerns in areas such as culture, ecology, food, outer space, artificial intelligence and resources.

“The resource materials aim to illustrate how elements of national security education can be integrated organically into and connected naturally with the learning components of the English-language curriculum,” the bureau said.

“English-language teachers can select relevant materials, including multimodal resources, and design a variety of learning and teaching activities to enhance students’ understanding of the relationship between their daily lives and national security, as well as the development of language in an integrative manner.”

The bureau said engaging with the materials allowed students to learn about the country’s recent developments in national security and the importance of safeguarding it, as well as fostering a sense of patriotism.

Students were encouraged to consider how they could help protect national security in their daily lives, it added.

The new content includes reading passages on central government policies, as well as on achievements and developments in safeguarding national security.

The materials also quiz students or ask them to discuss the content in English classes, in addition to covering topics such as grammar and sentence patterns.

English teacher Pauline Chow Lo-sai said students should be exposed to a wide range of reading materials, including those covering the arts and science.

But she expressed concerns the topic might not interest pupils.

“The material is scienceoriented and serious, for students who have lower English proficiency. They may find it difficult to handle,” Chow said.

Students who have lower English proficiency … may find [the material] difficult to handle TEACHER PAULINE CHOW