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The Secretary for Education, Mr Michael Suen, today (November 15) embarked on an exchange tour to Sichuan involving around 800 students and teachers from 54 secondary schools.
Led by Mr Suen, the Experiential Learning and Caring Trip to Sichuan has been arranged under the National Education Exchange Programme in Mainland for Senior Secondary Students.
The Sichuan tour comprises three study trips, which will take tour members to the cities of Dujiangyan, Deyang and Mianyang respectively, between November 14 and 19.
Mr Suen's delegation will attend a ceremony on the pairing up of Hong Kong and Sichuan schools under a sister-school scheme. The ceremony will be officiated by Mr Suen and Sichuan provincial education officials, who will witness the affiliation of 32 schools in Sichuan with 32 primary and secondary schools in Hong Kong.
Under the sister-school scheme, exchanges and co-operation between schools of both places can be deepened in the areas of management modes, teaching methods, research of teaching materials and teacher training.
Mr Suen today visited the Jintang HKYMCA School, which was one of the 69 school reconstruction projects supported by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in the wake of the Sichuan earthquake.
Reconstruction of the school was undertaken by the Young Men's Christian Association of Hong Kong with support from the Trust Fund in Support of Reconstruction in the Sichuan Earthquake Stricken Areas. The construction work was completed in December last year.
During his three-day stay in Sichuan, Mr Suen will join some of the students' learning activities. He will also visit the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding.
The National Education Exchange Programme in Mainland for Senior Secondary Students was launched for the first time this year to provide more opportunities for senior secondary students to take part in exchange programmes in the Mainland. It aims to deepen students' understanding of the country and strengthen their national identity and sense of belonging.
Ends/Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Issued at HKT 17:10
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