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Promotion of national education was an important and long-term mission and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government supported local organisations in taking the initiative to hold various national educational activities, the Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Tsang Tak-sing, said today (July 8).
Speaking at the "National Education Inter-school Digital Gold Award Competition 2008", Mr Tsang said President Hu Jintao had advised that the Government "should put more emphasis on national education for the youth in Hong Kong" during his visit to the city for the celebration of the 10th anniversary of the HKSAR last year. After one year, recent opinion polls conducted by different organisations showed that Hong Kong citizens, including youths, had a heightened sense of Chinese national identity.
"This is primarily a result of our country's continuous progress and development and ever increasing social cohesion, which have positive impacts on Hong Kong people," Mr Tsang said.
He said that as the 21st century was an era of information technology, the Home Affairs Bureau would continue to make good use of new media technology to promote national education to enable people, in particular youngsters, to get the latest updates on the country.
Mr Tsang said that both the Committee on the Promotion of Civic Education and the Commission on Youth under the Home Affairs Bureau had been playing an important role in promoting national education, while organisations from a number of districts and sectors had helped engage thousands of people in exchange and visit programmes to enhance their understanding of the country.
Mr Tsang expressed his gratitude and appreciation to those people and organisations for their enthusiasm in promoting national education.
Ends/Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Issued at HKT 19:30
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