CHINESE LANGUAGE SYLLABUS

CHINESE LANGUAGE SYLLABUS

26.

Dr Amy Khor Lean Suan asked the Minister for Education with the recent cutback in the Chinese language syllabus by up to 61% for primary 6 pupils (a) whether there is a need to have Higher Chinese and Normal Chinese at the primary level; and if there is, (b) what will be the key differences between these two tracks.

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Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam: Let me first clarify that the recent reduction in the number of passages in Chinese Language textbooks does not represent a cut in the Chinese Language (CL) curriculum. There is no change in the language skills and learning outcomes that are expected in the CL curriculum for 2005, nor any cut in CL curriculum time. These outcomes are defined in terms of students' ability to use the language fluently and confidently, not by the number of passages or characters that a student has learnt.

In primary schools, the number of passages has been reduced by an average of 15%. This implies a reduction of about 10% in the number of characters that students have to learn by the end of P6. (The cuts in number of passages are from P1-6, with the largest being a 60% reduction in the number of passages in P6 textbooks, from 28 passages to 11. Unlike P1 to P5 textbooks, the current P6 textbooks are based on the old, pre-2002 syllabus, which have been recognised to be heavy on content and which give teachers little time to help students understand and apply language skills.)

The reduction in CL passages will free up time and space for teachers to conduct activities that best suit the needs of their students, to consolidate what they have already learnt and to engage them in applying their language skills in new and interesting ways. Teachers may use the cut passages as supplementary or enrichment lessons, or devise their own reading programmes.

These moves to give teachers more flexibility are part of the transitional changes we are introducing in our schools, as announced in Parliament last November during the debate on the White Paper on CL learning, before the full implementation of the new CL curriculum over the medium term.

These recent changes do not alter our current system of having both the Higher Chinese Language (HCL) and Chinese Language (CL) syllabuses in schools. The objectives of the CL syllabus are two-fold, namely, to develop the linguistic skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing; and for students to absorb Chinese values and develop an appreciation for Chinese culture. The transmission of culture and values remains important. However, as recommended by the Chinese Language Curriculum and Pedagogy Review Committee, it has to be achieved in a flexible and natural way, via classroom lessons, supplementary reading and other activities that students find interesting and relevant.

The HCL syllabus shares the same dual objectives as for CL, but aims to take the students to a higher level in terms of both language competence and cultural appreciation. The HCL syllabus has additional components which are richer in Chinese literary and cultural content.

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