Academic assistance or burden? Teachers and parents are speaking against TSA
by Ho Yung Yee and Yuko Ling
Momentum is building among parents in their campaign to get rid of the Territory-wide System Assessment even though the Education Bureauhas repeatedly refused to scrap it.
TSA is an assessment to show students’ strengths and weaknesses in Chinese, English andmathematics. It was first introduced to Primary 3 students in 2004 and Primary 6 students in 2005. Parents and teachers criticize the program, saying the questions are too difficult for the students. They have created a Facebook page to expresstheir views.
Mandy Pang, a primary school teacher, said her school buys extra exercise books and textbooks to help their students improve. “In order to fulfill the government, those textbooks and exercises are necessary,” said Pang.
The questions are not testing the basic competencies of students.
– Mandy Pang, a teacher
The Hong Kong Examination and AssessmentAuthority (HKEAA) said that the function of TSA is to provide teachers and administrators information about students’ strengths and weaknesses.
However, Pang said the questions from TSA have become more difficult every year.
“The questions are not testing the basic competencies of students,” said Pang. She indicated that parents and teachers are speaking up because the pupils would not complain about having too much schoolwork since they have no choice.
There have been a lot of mock paper evercises
available for TSA on the market.
In an example of a TSA question, students areasked to identify the shape of a wine bottle. In lessons, they have learned about pyramids, prismsand spheres. However, the shape of a wine bottle does not fit any of those choices.
Sarol Pang, a secondary teacher who has a primary 1 daughter, said.
TSA has not brought her daughter any pressure yet, but she suggested that HKEAA should cancel TSA. She thought that TSA would not only burden the students, but also lead pupils to dislike learning.
Pang also said she does not find TSA effective inimproving the academic results of students. Worse still, TSA brings teachers unnecessary stress, she added.
A group is set up on social media by Carol, an education counselor, for the ban of TSA of primary schools. (Photo: Facebook)
Secretary for Education Eddie Ng Hak-kim has refused to scrap TSA for Primary 3 students. Ng claimed that TSA is the only way to provide a complete, objective and massive assessment of pupils across the Hong Kong region.
Mandy Pang agreed that it is hard to find another method to test the basic competencies of all Hong Kong students. “The school-based examination is difficult to define the ability of the students,” said Pang.
About TSA
– an assessment administered at the territory level
– facilitates assessment for learning by providing schools with objective data on students’ performances in the three subjects of Chinese Language, English Language and Mathematics at the end of Key Stages 1-3
– provides information about students’ strengths and weaknesses against specific Basic Competencies
– helps schools and teachers to enhance their plans on learning and teaching
– helps the Government to review policies and to provide focused support to schools
2000: Education Commission’s report ‘Learning for Life, Learning through Life’ set out proposals for the Basic Competency Assessments (BCA)
2004: TSA was introduced to P.3
2005: TSA was introductred to P.6
2006: TSA has been fully implemented at P.3, P.6 and S.3
(Source: HKEAA)
