Societas Linguistica Hongkongensis, an NGO concerning on Cantonese development in HK, has the following reply on this incident:
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Putonghua as the medium of instruction (PMI) is NOT a policy implemented by the govt
According to the Education Bureau, PMI is just a “long-term goal” and schools in HK have the autonomy to choose what language to be used in Chinese lessons.
2. Opposing PMI is due to academic reasons
Numerous research endorsed by the govt has NOT proved that PMI has significant advantages when comparing to using the mother tongue Cantonese as the medium of instruction. Not just that, a handful of research has cited that there are disadvantages in PMI. It’s nothing political.
3. Using the mother tongue to learn is a basic human right
HK has signed the Convention on the Rights of the Child by the UN and has the legal responsibility to ensure that children have the right to use their own language. It’s not illegal for Tony Chung to express his opposition towards PMI.