SED visits Shanghai Expo with teachers and students (with photos/video)

SED visits Shanghai Expo with teachers and students (with photos/video)
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     The Secretary for Education, Mr Michael Suen, as the leader of the "Passing on the Torch: Exploring and Embracing Chinese Culture National Education Exchange Programme", today (August 19) visited the World Expo 2010 Shanghai China (Shanghai Expo) with teachers and students participating in the programme. Their aim was to learn about the urban development of different countries and places under the Expo's main theme of "Better City, Better Life".

     Touring the China Pavilion and the Hong Kong Pavilion, Mr Suen encouraged students to make use of the Shanghai tour to broaden their vision and develop an open mind.

     He said, "Visiting the Expo is a valuable learning experience as students can see for themselves, within a short period of time, the arts and culture, science and technology and developments in the economies of various countries and places. They will also be able to identify topics worthy of learning and deliberation."

     The "Passing on the Torch: Exploring and Embracing Chinese Culture National Education Exchange Programme", organised by the Education Bureau, is an initiative to reinforce national education to support the commitment made in the Chief Executive's 2009/10 Policy Address.

     The Shanghai tour, and the "Hong Kong and Macao Student Tour of the Shanghai World Expo" which the Education Bureau also took the lead to organise, are two exchange activities held in mid-August for students to visit the Shanghai Expo and get first-hand information about the city's history, culture, and economic and urban developments.

     A total of 4,700 teachers and students as well as members of a number of youth groups from Hong Kong and 500 participants from Macao joined the five-day exchange tours.

     During their stay in Shanghai, the teachers and students will visit the Expo site, cultural establishments, heritage sites and major enterprises to gain an understanding of the history, culture and latest developments in the municipality and the Yangtze River Delta. It is hoped that the tours will enhance the students' knowledge of the situation on the Mainland and their sense of belonging to the motherland.

     In the evening, Mr Suen will exchange views at a sharing session with participants of the "Passing on the Torch: Exploring and Embracing Chinese Culture National Education Exchange Programme".

     Mr Suen will tomorrow pay a courtesy call on the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission to brief them on the latest developments in Hong Kong education.

Ends/Thursday, August 19, 2010
Issued at HKT 12:08

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