Schools in the city must have at least one-fifth of their Chinese language teachers adept in Putonghua if they choose to join a pilot scheme that promotes the use of the nation's official language as the medium of instruction for Chinese lessons.

Chairman of the Standing Committee of Language Education and Research Michael Tien said this on a radio program yesterday.

Tien said that he believed the supply of qualified teachers would be sufficient for the scheme.

The HK$200-million scheme, endorsed by the committee last month, required participating schools to gradually add five extra Chinese language classes using Putonghua as the teaching medium within the three-year period of the pilot scheme.

Teachers of these lessons must achieve grade A in the Test of Proficiency in Putonghua or equivalent to qualify for the job.

Tien said schools would be qualified for the scheme only if 20 percent of their Chinese language teachers had obtained the qualifications.

The scheme will fund 30 primary and 10 secondary schools each year in the coming four years to hire substitute teachers.

Experienced mainland teachers would be invited to advise the participating schools on using Putonghua as the medium of instruction in the first year of the scheme.

Tien said these mainland teachers would only act as the consultants for their local counterparts, and would not be directly involved in the teaching process.

He said the participating schools would not be asked to use Putonghua as the sole medium for Chinese language lessons.

For example, students and teachers will still be allowed to speak Cantonese in group discussions.

"Forcing students to speak Putonghua may affect their discussion," Tien said, adding that he believed students would not be confused by switching between Cantonese and Putonghua in classes.

Meanwhile, Tien also said he would meet with Secretary for Education Michael Suen to discuss the medium of instruction policy.

Only 112 secondary schools are currently allowed to use English as the medium of instruction for junior classes, and the rest must use Chinese.

Schools, however, will have a say on whether to change the instruction medium by the end of the 2008 school year.

(HK Edition 11/13/2007 page6)