Following is the transcript of remarks by the Secretary for Education, Mr Eddie Ng Hak-kim, at a media session after attending a radio programme today (June 24):

Reporter: Do you think it is not necessary to turn it (national education) into a separate subject?

Secretary for Education: As I said, this is part of the overall subjects. There are pros and cons of making it into an independent subject. But if you look at it, there is a wide spectrum of coverage. It is about building up of moral values and that's why we put it under the value education in general.  It covers the civic, moral and national education and others as well, in particular the Basic Law education. It's a total package. The key is that the schools adopt it as one of the major learning areas. Secondly, schools understand that it would be learnt through different means such as inside or outside classroom activities, technology-driven and interactive activities, or Mainland exchange programmes. These are parts of the process. Teachers need continuous support and professional development to further enhance the effectiveness of it. 

Reporter: Last question, regarding the last five years, what do you think about your work? Anything that you are regretful of? Do you have a conclusion about your five years at the government?

Secretary for Education: Five years is not a short period. A good leader is someone who would hold on to his principles. As for my commitment as the Secretary for Education, all those committed items have been honoured and delivered with effects. I feel proud of that. It's not my own credits. The credits go to all of my colleagues, all the teachers and principals, school sponsoring bodies and everyone in the community. It is a concerted effort. We feel proud of having such achievements and bringing Hong Kong's overall rankings to a record high. For example, the IMD (International Institute for Management Development ) World Talent Ranking in 2016. For the first time, Hong Kong was ranked among top 10 in the world, and in Asia, we're number one. This is an example of our education and talent building. In terms of regrets, actually I do feel we could have done a lot more. But the problem is political interference and everything is being politicalised. It is a regret that we were not being able to make full move of things we should have done in the area of education. 

(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)

Ends/Saturday, June 24, 2017
Issued at HKT 11:33

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