During the championship competition at the Paris Olympics, fencer Vivian Kong Man-wai vividly demonstrated the “Hong Kong spirit”, pulling herself up by her bootstraps and overtaking her opponent Auriane Mallo-Breton after trailing 7-1.
Hong Kong’s athletes set an all-time record for their city at the Paris Olympic Games, winning two gold and two bronze medals. The athletes’ heartening performance has rekindled hopes and discussions on the molding of future sporting stars and schools’ role in promoting sports on campuses.
As one expert in local elite sports pointed out in a recent radio program, the support system for elite sports, as buttressed by financial resources from the public coffers, is very comprehensive and covers 42 categories. Notwithstanding such appreciable support at the highest level, there seems to be little argument that a greater push for sports promotion should be mounted in schools, to the extent that students’ mental and physical well-being can be enhanced while at the same time dispensing with the misapprehension that sporting achievements are incompatible with excellent academic performance. The answer lies in a vigorous strengthening of physical education classes in schools and continuing efforts to sustain the momentum being generated by the near-term booming of selected sports items, especially fencing and swimming, which have given birth to Olympic medalists.
As nobody could predict the outcome of Hong Kong’s participation in the Olympic Games, it seems to be a coincidence that an appropriate breeding ground will be fostered for fundamental sports training for adolescents and the implementation of physical education in schools under a revised version of the students’ internal assessment of primary school students for the annual secondary school place allocation, a public event which generates enormous attention among parents, students and schools.
Under the present arrangement, primary schools assess their pupils for progression to secondary schools by conducting three bouts of examinations, one in the latter term of Primary 5 and two in Primary 6, and then submit their scores to the Education Bureau (EDB) under a standardized 38-point system. Core subjects, including Chinese language, English and mathematics take up nine points each; general studies six; music two; and the arts three. Currently, physical education is not included in the assessment.
Under a new grading system as proposed by the EDB, results of primary school pupils in physical education may become part of their secondary school allocation evaluations. This proposal was mapped out after the EDB recently broadened the current general studies subject into science and humanities, with significant and widely supported learning components of national identity and patriotic education.
Under the new assessment framework, children eligible for public-sector secondary school seats would be evaluated for their performance in physical education, which would draw two points out of a total of 38. Chinese, English and mathematics would be scaled down from nine to eight points each, while the two new courses on science and humanities would each be awarded four points. Music and visual arts would each be given two points. According to the timetable recommended by the authorities, students advancing to Primary 1 and Primary 4 in the 2025-26 academic year are designated to be the first group to study the new science and humanities subjects, with the full go-ahead set for the 2027-28 school year. The amended student performance assessment for secondary school spots would go into force from academic year 2026-27 to tie in with the first batch of pupils studying the two new subjects proceeding to Primary 5.
With the total points staying at 38, the lesser proportion of assessed grades for the conventional major subjects of Chinese, English and mathematics would release precious learning time for a more balanced curriculum and testing, this time by including physical education in the evaluation rubric.
In putting the new assessment system into force, one challenge that calls for further research and consultation is that the current students’ internal assessment for enrollment in public-sector Secondary 1 classes is weighed by the actual scores obtained by Primary 5 and Primary 6 students in Chinese, English and mathematics. Physical education, however, is usually rated in grades. Thus, to compare like with like, attainments in physical education have to be converted into points accumulated by the students under examination. This apart, appropriate restructuring should be introduced to the curriculum of the school physical education so that students will be offered systematic teaching in both basic theories and practical training in sports.
On balance, the evaluation plan as mooted would promote physical and mental growth holistically in the city’s basic education provision. This policy falls in line with the rising importance accorded by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government to sports development. To make the revised plan work effectively, schools should be given clear guidelines and sufficient time to adjust to the new rating regime, especially for physical education, taking into account the inborn variations of students’ physical qualities and the special education needs of some. This fairness demand is crucial for the introduction of the innovative approach in screening of students’ schoolwork.
Meanwhile, concerns have been raised about the selection of types of sports for instruction in schools, given that there is an extensive array of sports to choose from and some of them are associated with costly training equipment, as in the case of fencing.
However it should be pointed out that music and visual arts have this similar characteristic in common, but they have been incorporated in the assessment for years. Suitable reference might be made to the actual operation in both their own areas and the overall skeletal structure of the test rubric. On the count of essential training equipment, would it also be possible that the long-time functioning of the Music Office financed by the government be investigated as to which big and costly musical instruments can be loaned to students for short-time use?
On the strength of the evidence-based triumphant outcomes of Hong Kong’s athletes in the Paris Olympics, there is no controversy whatsoever over the justification for increased funding allocation for school sports development.
Our schools should also be encouraged to collaborate with well-established district and citywide sports bodies to help train their students and identify teenagers with high athletic potential at an early stage. Where possible, students should be given opportunities to realize their dreams in sporting endeavors.
Authorities must appreciate that schools do have a vital role to play in sports promotion because this is where athletes invariably begin their sports training. If they develop a strong interest and foundation in sports while in school, they will be more inclined and better prepared to become excellent coaches or fresh blood for various athletic contests, including the Asian and Olympic games.
The author is a member of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.
