Hong Kong Baptist University 'Blue Book' criticises recruitment of foreign teachers

Stuart Lau:

A Baptist University-initiated publication already under academic investigation contains another contentious allegation about the British Council's role in recruiting teachers under the native English-speaking (NET) scheme, the South China Morning Post found.

The Chinese-language Blue Book of Hong Kong: Annual Report on Development of Hong Kong (2012) says the NET scheme, in place since 1997, should be abolished because of its social and political bearing on Hong Kong. It describes some of the teachers selected as having "taken root in Hong Kong".

The British Council said it had long stopped playing a role in the selection of these teachers.

Chinese University has already complained about the Blue Book's "defamatory" claim that its liberal studies curriculum was influenced by a US foundation. Baptist University vice-chancellor Professor Albert Chan Sun-chi pledged yesterday to offer a satisfactory apology to Chinese University should its academic investigation panel find material in the book was not accurate.

"If we have been wrong, we should apologise," he said.

Posted by Jim Zellmer at November 15, 2012 4:37 AM
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