Executive Council member Anna Wu Hung-yuk will chair the Committee on the Implementation of Moral & National Education set up to allay public concern over the Moral & National Education Curriculum, the Education Bureau announced on Wednesday.

Speaking to the media after the committee's first meeting, Secretary for Education Eddie Ng Hak-kim said the committee will provide comments to the bureau on the curriculum's implementation during the three-year initiation period.

With wide participation from the community, the committee will listen to public views on the curriculum's preparation and implementation, and review the learning and teaching resources on contemporary China developed by the bureau, he added.

Wu said the committee has discussed its scope of responsibilities for the initiation period. She stressed the committee respects the schools' and teachers' autonomy, and their professionalism in implementing the subject during the initiation period. She also encourages parents and students to discuss the subject with the schools.

Wu said she will refrain from Executive Council meetings if the subject is discussed, to maintain her impartiality.

The 24-member panel has a wide range of representatives from students, parents, teachers, school heads, academics, community members and curriculum development experts, Ng said.

What is not clear is whether the committee is empowered to amend the bureau's curriculum guide released in April.

The panel's vice-chairman is Professor Lee Chack-fan, who is also chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee on Moral and National Education. Other members include Liu Ah-chuen, chairman of the Hong Kong Subsidized Secondary Schools Council; Leung Siu-tong from the Hong Kong Aided Primary School Heads Association; and Gordon Tsui Luen-on, chairman of the Committee on Home-School Co-operation.

The bureau is still awaiting a reply from some groups opposing the national education program, all of which stated previously they intended to boycott the evaluation exercise.

Ng called on those who have declined to join to reconsider. "We sincerely hope that, after they have seen the membership list, the terms of references, as well as the sincerity of the members and the representation of the committee, they will reconsider joining the committee," said Ng, adding that if they still refuse to participate, they are also welcome to express their views on a different platform.

Wu stressed that the discussions would not be one-sided. "Earlier on, someone had asked whether it should be a standard subject or be integrated with other subjects. Within the flexibility that we have now, the schools can make their own decisions and I do encourage schools and teachers to come up with their own teaching materials," she said, adding the course is aimed at helping students develop their own critical thinking.

Wu said there would be no conflict of roles with her position as a member of the Executive Council.

"If this item should come up for discussion at the Executive Council, I will excuse myself from the discussion, just to be sure that I could, as far as possible, independently champion the course of this particular committee," she told reporters.

Under the current government plan, primary schools can decide for themselves whether to start teaching the subject when the school term begins in September, while secondary schools will be offered the choice next year.

mingyeung@chinadailyhk.com

(HK Edition 08/23/2012 page1)