13 Apr 2024獨媒#3346
Investigation concludes allegations unfounded; Zhang Xiang says damage to HKU difficult to repair
去年末，連串針對港大校長張翔的指控見諸傳媒，更傳疑校委會與校長爭權，校委會及後成立專責小組調查。事隔逾半年，昨日（4月12日）港大校委會公布，指調查報告指證據不足以確立對校長的指控。張翔及後發聲明，稱「終於還我清白」，但指「今次事件對香港大學造成的傷害，仍難以彌補。」
A series of allegations against the University of Hong Kong President Zhang Xiang appeared in the media late last year, amid reports of an alleged power struggle between the University Council and the president. The Council subsequently set up a task force to investigate. More than six months later, the HKU Council announced yesterday (April 12) that the investigation report found the evidence insufficient to establish the allegations against the president. Zhang later issued a statement saying he had “finally been cleared”, but said that “the damage caused to the University of Hong Kong by this incident remains difficult to repair.”
13 Apr 2024明報#3347
HK$9 million systems fail again: Easy Invigilation suspended, Easy Check-in remains in use; HKEAA says stress tests were conducted
斥資近900萬元研發、分別用作中學文憑試報到及核對考生身分的「報到易」及「監考易」系統連續兩日故障。考評局昨晚宣布今起停用「監考易」，改用人手紙本方式點名，考生則繼續用「報到易」報到。考評局秘書長魏向東稱需一段時間才可修復問題，不希望問題影響接下來的考試。局方透露，個半月前與承辦商完成壓力測試，不涉第三方測試，問題成因仍待調查。香港資訊科技商會榮譽會長方保僑估計若系統故障不涉網絡或流量問題，不排除是太多數據同時重疊出事，或程式設計有問題，建議局方與開發商移除錯誤，並作足夠的用家測試與壓力測試。
The Easy Check-in and Easy Invigilation systems, developed at a cost of nearly HK$9 million for use in check-in and candidate identity verification respectively for the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination, malfunctioned for two consecutive days. The Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority announced last night that Easy Invigilation would be suspended from today and attendance would instead be checked manually on paper, while candidates would continue to check in using Easy Check-in. HKEAA Secretary General Xiangdong Wei said it would take some time to fix the problem and that the authority did not want it to affect the examinations ahead. The authority disclosed that it had completed stress testing with the contractor a month and a half ago, without third-party testing being involved; the cause of the problem is still under investigation. Francis Fong Po-kiu, honorary president of the Hong Kong Information Technology Federation, estimated that if the system failure was unrelated to network or traffic problems, it could have been caused by too much data overlapping simultaneously, or by a programming problem. He suggested that the authority and the developer remove the errors and conduct sufficient user and stress testing.
9 Apr 2024HK01#3324
Dubai Prince | Hang Seng University Revises Press Release, Deletes References to Honorary Professorship and Memorandum of Understanding
阿聯酋杜拜統治家族成員Sheikh Ali Rashed Ali Saeed Al Maktoum（阿里王子）煞停在港開設家族辦公室的啟動禮後，接連被揭發他是總理的「遠房親戚」、曾經擔任歌手，辦公室高層亦牽涉加密貨幣懷疑騙案、內地空鐵為失信企業等。爭議揭發前，阿里獲恒生大學委任為榮譽教授，並與該校簽署合作備忘錄。
不過恒生大學修改3月的新聞稿，刪除委任榮譽教授及簽署合作備忘錄的事宜；恒大官網僅有四名榮譽教授，未見有阿里之名。恒大表示，備忘錄和擔任客席教授均生效，亦按「既定程序」，但無回應獲委任的條件及程序細節。
After Sheikh Ali Rashed Ali Saeed Al Maktoum, a member of Dubai’s ruling family in the United Arab Emirates, halted the launch ceremony for the opening of his family office in Hong Kong, it was successively revealed that he was a “distant relative” of the prime minister and had previously worked as a singer. Senior executives at the office were also implicated in a suspected cryptocurrency fraud case, while a mainland aerial-rail company was listed as an untrustworthy enterprise. Before the controversy came to light, Ali had been appointed an honorary professor by Hang Seng University and had signed a memorandum of understanding with the university.
However, Hang Seng University revised its March press release, deleting references to the honorary professorship and the signing of the memorandum of understanding. The university’s official website lists only four honorary professors and does not include Ali. The university said the memorandum and his appointment as a visiting professor were both effective and had been handled according to “established procedures”, but did not respond to questions about the conditions or procedural details of his appointment.
3 Apr 2024Channel C#3300
DSE Holds Mainland Exam Venues for First Time, with About 110 Candidates; HKEAA Says Standards Equally Rigorous and Citizenship Subject Does Not Affect Recognition
中學文憑試（DSE）將在下周開考，考評局早前宣佈以「先行先試」模式，在大灣區設考場。今年首設的2個內地考場分別在深圳及廣州，約有110名考生在兩場地內應試。考評局主席容永祺表示，內地考場標準與香港一樣嚴謹，又指以公民科取代通識科不影響海外院校對該試的認受性，指「從未聽聞」有大學要求申請者須考其他公開試取代。
The Diploma of Secondary Education Examination (DSE) will begin next week. The Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA) earlier announced that, on a pilot basis, examination venues would be established in the Greater Bay Area. The two mainland venues introduced this year are in Shenzhen and Guangzhou, with about 110 candidates sitting the examination at the two locations. HKEAA Chairman Samuel Wing Ki Yung said the standards at the mainland venues were equally rigorous as those in Hong Kong. He also said replacing Liberal Studies with Citizenship and Social Development did not affect the examination’s recognition by overseas institutions, saying he had “never heard” of any university requiring applicants to sit another public examination instead.
29 Mar 2024RTHK#3284
St. Paul's Co-educational College says it conducts random checks of students' tablets to ensure proper use
有報章報道指，聖保羅男女中學早前宣布，檢查多名中一學生用於校內電子學習的個人平板電腦。
聖保羅男女中學回覆查詢時指，學校早已推行電子學習，按照學校政策，學生在校內使用平板電腦時只可作學習用途。今次檢查以抽樣形式了解學生在校內使用平板電腦的情況，確保他們妥善使用平板電腦，並防範平板電腦因被不慎使用而感染電腦病毒或下載任何惡意軟件程式，從而危及校園網絡安全。
A newspaper reported that St. Paul's Co-educational College had earlier announced that it would inspect the personal tablets of several Form One students used for e-learning at school.
In response to inquiries, the college said it had implemented e-learning for some time. Under school policy, students may use tablets on campus only for learning purposes. The checks were conducted on a random-sample basis to understand how students were using tablets at school, ensure that they used the tablets properly, and prevent the tablets from inadvertently becoming infected with computer viruses or downloading any malicious software, thereby endangering the security of the campus network.
28 Mar 2024獨媒#3270
Tourists Flock to University for Photos; HKU to Introduce Visitor Management Measures and Guided Tours from May 1
香港大學最近成為內地遊客熱門打卡景點之一，令校園人頭湧湧，甚至有人擅闖講堂「觀光」。港大今日宣布，鑑於校園遊客人數不斷增加，於5月1日起分階段實行遊客分流措施及設校園導賞團，詳情將適時公佈。但獲邀人士、核准服務提供者和社區用戶進入港大校園的安排則維持不變。
The University of Hong Kong has recently become a popular photo-taking spot for tourists from the mainland, leaving the campus crowded, with some even entering lecture halls without permission to sightsee. HKU announced today that, as the number of campus visitors continues to rise, it will introduce visitor management measures in phases and organise campus guided tours from May 1. Details will be announced in due course. Arrangements for invited persons, approved service providers and community users entering the HKU campus will remain unchanged.
25 Mar 2024獨媒#3241
Methodist School Accused of Monitoring and Guiding Students When Completing Questionnaire; Education Bureau Says Questions Should Not Be Explained
教育局一直要求全港學校定期就各方面表現進行自我評估，並提交數據。近日《獨媒》接獲投訴，有自稱兒子於循道學校就讀的家長指，該校學生在填寫其中一份問卷調查時，有多名老師監視學生回答內容，並引導學生作答，疑是「造假數據」。
教育局回覆《獨媒》查詢指，據局方為學校提供的使用須知，學校須在保密和不記名的情況下進行評估套件的問卷調查，並讓學生在作答時保有私隱。如有需要，教師可向學生讀出問卷上的作答指示及在他們作答時讀出題目，但不應解釋題目，以免出現解讀的偏差，影響問卷結果的準確程度。就是次情況，教育局會向學校了解，並會按需要跟進及提供適切的支援。
The Education Bureau has long required schools across Hong Kong to conduct regular self-assessments of various aspects of their performance and submit the data. The Independent Media recently received a complaint from a parent who said their son attends Methodist School, alleging that several teachers monitored students’ answers while they were completing one of the questionnaires and guided them in responding, in what was suspected to be “fabricated data”.
In response to enquiries from The Independent Media, the Education Bureau said that, according to the instructions for use it provides to schools, schools must conduct questionnaire surveys under the assessment package confidentially and anonymously, and preserve students’ privacy while they answer. If necessary, teachers may read out the instructions for answering the questionnaire and read out the questions as students answer them, but should not explain the questions, to avoid differences in interpretation affecting the accuracy of the questionnaire results. Regarding this situation, the Education Bureau said it would contact the school to make enquiries and follow up as necessary, providing appropriate support.
21 Mar 2024明報#3219
HKBU to Merge Two Faculties in July; Student Union Says Details Unclear, University Calls It Key Step in Promoting Interdisciplinary Collaboration
浸大文學院和社會科學院合併方案，掀起校內持份者連月來爭議，前日在校董會議決通過。校方昨稱兩院今年7月1日起正式合併，「標誌浸大在推動更多跨學科協作邁出重要一步」。身兼浸大學生校董的學生會署理會長周嘉怡昨表示，她在會上投反對票，認為合併影響兩院的學生，牽連甚廣，惟方案細節未明，「學生提出的很多問題，校方也說留待工作小組處理」。
浸大昨回覆本報表示，合併方案下，兩院轄下12個學系將組成4個學部，全數併入新學院，各學系的名稱將不變。校方續稱，未來數個月將繼續與師生、校友保持溝通，收集不同持份者的意見，並成立6個專責小組，商討並制定方案落實細節。
周嘉怡昨向本報說，兩院的學生對合併持不同意見，部分較關心獎學金安排、部分則較着眼資源分配，「但整體上他們也缺乏對這件事的了解，學校亦沒逐個學生回應」。她稱，學生會一直促請大學公開教務議會通過兩院合併方案時的會議紀錄，讓學生了解各持份者「會上談及些什麼？校方又怎樣回應？」，但校方以保密為由拒交代。
The proposed merger of Hong Kong Baptist University's Faculty of Arts and Faculty of Social Sciences has sparked months of dispute among stakeholders on campus and was approved by the university's governing body the day before yesterday. The university said yesterday that the two faculties would formally merge on July 1 this year, marking “an important step forward for HKBU in promoting more interdisciplinary collaboration”. Chau Ka-yee, acting president of the student union and a student member of the university's governing body, said yesterday that she had voted against the merger. She said it would affect students in both faculties and have far-reaching implications, but details of the proposal remained unclear. “The university also said that many of the questions raised by students would be left for the working groups to handle.”
HKBU told this newspaper yesterday that under the merger plan, the 12 departments under the two faculties would form four divisions, all of which would be incorporated into the new faculty. The names of the individual departments would remain unchanged. The university added that it would continue communicating with staff, students and alumni over the coming months to gather the views of different stakeholders, and would establish six task forces to discuss and formulate details for implementing the plan.
Chau told this newspaper yesterday that students in the two faculties held differing views on the merger. Some were more concerned about scholarship arrangements, while others focused more on resource allocation. “Overall, however, they also lack an understanding of the matter, and the university has not responded to each student individually,” she said. She said the student union had repeatedly urged the university to disclose the minutes of the Academic Senate meeting at which the merger plan was passed, so that students could understand “what the various stakeholders discussed at the meeting and how the university responded”. The university had declined to provide details on grounds of confidentiality, she said.
18 Mar 2024獨媒#3197
China’s maps had ten-dash line as early as 2016; Education Bureau does not explain approval of textbook without it
香港跨境生被內地海關撕去中史書地圖事件，教育局早前指地圖與國家2023年發布的最新中國標準地圖資料「有不一致的地方」。涉事的「現代教育研究社」上周發聲明，指該社會配合局方指示作更新，於新學年供學校使用，又解釋新的標準地圖去年暑假發布，課本難以作出更新配合，出版社亦不能在未有教育局審批的情況下修改。
不過翻查現時4間出版社的6本初中中史教科書，除「現代」外，其餘出版社的中國地圖均有顯示南海「十段線」，但就「釣魚島」稱呼不一。根據國家自然資源部網站，至少自2016年的中國標準地圖已有劃出「十段線」，《獨媒》向教育局查詢，為何2020年仍通過審批涉事未有加入「十段線」的教科書原因，局方未有回應。
Following an incident in which mainland customs officers tore a map from a Chinese history textbook belonging to a Hong Kong cross-border student, the Education Bureau earlier said the map was “inconsistent in some respects” with the information in the latest China standard map issued by the country in 2023. Modern Educational Research Society issued a statement last week saying it had updated the map in accordance with the bureau’s instructions for schools to use in the new academic year. It also explained that the new standard map was issued during last summer’s holiday, making it difficult to update the textbook accordingly, and that the publisher could not make changes without the Education Bureau’s approval.
However, a review of six junior-secondary Chinese history textbooks from four publishers currently in use found that, apart from Modern Educational Research Society’s textbook, the Chinese maps in the other publishers’ textbooks all showed the South China Sea’s “ten-dash line”, although their references to the Diaoyu Islands varied. According to the website of the Ministry of Natural Resources, China’s standard maps had already shown the “ten-dash line” at least as early as 2016. The Education Bureau did not respond to questions from The Independent Media about why it had approved the textbook involved in the incident in 2020 despite its not including the “ten-dash line”.
11 Mar 2024RFA#3153
China Customs’ Tearing-Up of Hong Kong Textbooks Reveals Many New Editions Had Already “Self-Censored” Content
香港跨境生被中國海關要求撕初中教科書事件，港府被質疑任由教育自主被侵犯，而事實上港府在《港區國安法》實施後，早已設下重重紅線「自閹」教科書，確保學生「政治正確」。那經過4年「洗禮」後，本台翻查中學中史、公社科等官方「適用書目」，發現除了主權爭議外，多處涉及人權、政治及自由內容被修改，包括刪改對法治定義、《公安條例》設立、警方執法、人大代表是否橡皮圖章的探討，以及「香港人權監察」、美國傳統基金會等內容。有分析指，若學生只在「一言堂」的環境下被教育，官方教科書自然是他們世界觀的「標準答案」，而校方更不敢「自主」加教材，「現在連官方獲批的教科書都被中共跨境抽秤」，更令人惶恐。
After Chinese customs officers ordered a Hong Kong cross-border student to tear up a junior-secondary textbook, the Hong Kong government was criticised for allowing educational autonomy to be infringed. In fact, after the implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law, the government had already established numerous red lines and “self-censored” textbooks to ensure that students were “politically correct”. After four years of this “baptism”, this station reviewed the official “applicable textbook lists” for subjects including secondary-school Chinese History and Citizenship and Social Development, and found that, apart from sovereignty disputes, various passages concerning human rights, politics and freedom had been revised. These included definitions of the rule of law, the establishment of the Public Order Ordinance, police enforcement, discussions over whether deputies to the National People’s Congress were rubber stamps, and references to Hong Kong Human Rights Monitor and the Heritage Foundation. Some analysts said that if students were educated only in a “one-voice” environment, official textbooks would naturally become the “standard answers” shaping their worldview, while schools would be even less willing to independently add teaching materials. “Now even officially approved textbooks are being subjected to cross-border scrutiny by the Chinese Communist Party,” they said, making the situation even more alarming.
Translations are supplied by the source workbook. Consult the original reporting for context.
