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The Secretary for Education, Mr Michael Suen, today (April 11) called on teachers and students to actively take part in national education activities, so as to enrich their knowledge of the motherland and to contribute to the future development of the country.
Officiating at a ceremony to launch the national education activities, Mr Suen said, "To commemorate the 30th anniversary of reform and opening-up on the Mainland, the Education Bureau (EDB) will organise a series of national education activities in the coming months. By knowing the latest development of our country, students will be able to build up a stronger sense of national identity and broaden their horizon".
The launching ceremony was held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The president of Wen Wei Po, Mr Zhang Guoliang, also officiated at the ceremony. The Principal Assistant Secretary for Education, Dr Catherine Chan, outlined the way forward for national education and introduced various educational activities on 30 years of reform and opening-up on the Mainland.
The ceremony was immediately followed by the first national education seminar. Professor Lau Siu-kai, the Head of the Central Policy Unit, delivered a speech on the significance of the peaceful development of our country to Hong Kong and other parts of the world, followed by Mr Kwok Kwok-chuen, the Government Economist, on the country's direction and the way forward of economic development since reform and opening-up.
The national education activities on 30 years of reform and opening-up are organised by the Education Bureau. The activities, which aim to enhance students' knowledge about the country, especially its achievements since the reforms, and the way forward for future development, include:
(1) Seminar series
The EDB will invite guest speakers to deliver speeches on various themes on the reforms and the latest development of the country. Principals and teachers are welcome to participate in the discussion at the seminars (Details of the first six seminars are at Annex);
(2) Project learning award scheme
Primary and secondary students will explore different topics on the reforms on the Mainland through project learning, so as to develop their self-learning ability and creativity. Winning teams will be given a chance to participate in exchange activities on the Mainland; and
(3) Teaching resources website
The website (www.edb.gov.hk/ReformOpeningUp) will provide teachers and students with teaching resources on China's development in the past three decades in the scientific, technological, environmental, social and cultural arenas.
For details of the activities on 30 years of reform and opening-up on the Mainland, please visit EDB's website:¡]www.edb.gov.hk/ReformOpeningUp).
Ends/Friday, April 11, 2008
Issued at HKT 18:43
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