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In order to help students attain higher sports proficiency and provide them with opportunities to participate in sports, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) has been running the School Sports Programme (SSP) for students of primary, secondary and special schools since 2001.
Since 2010, the SSP has been extended to kindergartens. Over the past two years, the LCSD has organised eight workshops, including six workshops on "Children's Health and Physical Activities" and two workshops on "Gymnastics for All for Kindergarten Teachers".
In addition, the LCSD has also co-operated with the Department of Health and the Education Bureau (EDB) to promote the "StartSmart@school.hk" Campaign. These efforts aim at helping kindergarten teachers to broaden their knowledge on sports and physical activities and the associated benefits to preschoolers. It is hoped that the kindergarten teachers could apply the knowledge and learning skills to devise their daily routines using the existing resources in the kindergartens so as to encourage children to engage in active physical activities at an early age. The LCSD will continue to promote the workshops among the kindergartens and to invite them to participate.
The SSP is organised by the National Sports Associations and subvented by the LCSD in collaboration with the EDB, the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Baptist University. Activities are organised in line with the daily schedules of schools so that students can participate in the activities in a familiar school environment during their leisure time. The programme not only encourages students to take part in sports activities, but also provides voluntary services so as to train more sports volunteers and promote a sports culture.
Over the decade, the scheme has grown from four subsidiary programmes to seven, namely the Sport Education Programme, the Easy Sport Programme, the Sport Captain Programme, the Outreach Coaching Programme, the Joint Schools Sports Training Programme, the Badges Award Scheme and the Sports Award Scheme, providing 40 sports activities for students to choose from. In the year 2011/12, more than 90 per cent of primary, secondary and special schools have participated in the scheme; over 7 800 activities were organised, with total student attendance of 607 000.
This year, the LCSD will continue to optimise the existing subsidiary programmes while launching other new activities, which would provide a greater number of sports and training courses for students. Newly added items for this year include beach handball demonstration, dragon boating and hockey.
For further information about the SSP and details on its subsidiary programmes, please visit the LCSD website at www.lcsd.gov.hk.
Ends/Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Issued at HKT 14:01
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