The Standing Committee on Language Education and Research may have tough time in hiring experienced local teachers as consultants for the scheme to promote the use of Putonghua in teaching Chinese language, a source close to the committee said yesterday.

The HK$200-million scheme, aimed at helping 120 primary and 40 secondary schools to use Putonghua as the medium of instruction in Chinese language classes, will pair the participating schools with mainland experts and experienced local teachers for giving advice.

The source said that every year, in addition to 20 mainland experts, several experienced local teachers would be hired as consultants and several other Chinese language teachers would be seconded for the scheme.

However, hiring local teachers would be difficult because the experienced teacher might be receiving HK$60,000 a month, a salary much higher than what the committee could afford, the source added.

"The scheme will last for a few years only. We cannot guarantee employment of these staff after their contracts end," the source said.

"Schools are reluctant to let their teachers go because they also want to promote the use of Putonghua in teaching Chinese," the source added.

Experts in local tertiary institutions might be seconded if local teachers were not hired, the source added.

"The tertiary institutions expert might spend one-third of their time working with us, and go back to their regular work," the source said.

The scheme would be opened for application in January and schools would be notified whether they were accepted in May.

Half of the participating schools would have experience in teaching Chinese in Putonghua.

A survey conducted by the committee in 2005 revealed that 125 primary and 84 secondary schools were using Putonghua to teach Chinese language.

It takes about three months for students to get used to learning Chinese language in Putonghua, according to another study conducted on 20 schools.

Besides the manpower problem, schools participating in the scheme might also need to adjust their Putonghua lessons, which are offered as a separate subject, the source said.

It is because the oral and listening comprehension of Putonghua lessons might overlap with the Chinese language curriculum.

That means the number of Putonghua lessons might have to be reduced.

Yet they cannot be taken out from the curriculum completely as students still need to learn pinyin, the source added.

The source also said additional funding might be needed for the scheme in case of positive response from schools.

(HK Edition 11/15/2007 page6)