The Education Bureau (EDB) together with schools in Hong Kong organised a variety of student activities today (April 15) in support of the National Security Education Day to promote national security education.

     The Secretary for Education, Mr Kevin Yeung, and the Under Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, attended the morning assemblies of SKH St James' Primary School and King's College respectively, during which they viewed the raising of the national flag and sang the national anthem with students.

     Mr Yeung said, "Today is the sixth National Security Education Day (National Security Day) of our country and also the first of its kind since the implementation of the Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (the National Security Law). It is therefore particularly meaningful. As a place for education, schools should enable students to understand that while having staunch support from the country, we, as nationals, also have the responsibility to safeguard national security with a view to contributing to the prosperity, stability and continuous development of the country and Hong Kong society.

     "Building on the foundation of national education, Constitution and Basic Law education, the EDB will continue to adopt a 'multi-pronged and co-ordinated' approach in supporting schools in the implementation of national security education, including issuing curriculum documents to explain the important concepts of national security and how the curriculum contents of different subjects can be connected and integrated naturally, as well as providing teaching exemplars, learning and teaching resources, and suggested activities to help schools promote national security education within and outside the classroom.

     "The EDB will also continue to provide relevant training for teachers and render professional support and advice to schools on all fronts, such as school visits and forming teachers' learning circles," he added.

     According to the circular memorandum issued by the EDB, schools, in addition to explaining to students the meaning of the National Security Education Day during morning assemblies or class teacher sessions, may also introduce different aspects of national security, such as territorial security, economic security, ecological security, cyber security and cultural security through related subjects.
      
     Schools may also organise inter-class or inter-form activities with the theme of national security, such as national affairs knowledge quiz, bulletin board design, poster design and slogan design competitions, encouraging students to gather information and conduct project work to foster self-directed learning.

     In order to strengthen primary and secondary students' understanding of national security, the Curriculum Development Institute of the EDB is organising the "2021 National Security Education Day Online Quiz Competition" and "School Bulletin Board Design Competition on National Security".

     The "2021 National Security Education Day Online Quiz Competition" is being held from April 12 to 19, with 454 primary and secondary schools participating. The list of awardees will be announced on the first anniversary of the implementation of the National Security Law on June 30.

     Regarding the "School Bulletin Board Design Competition on National Security", a total of 248 teams from 114 primary and secondary schools have submitted either photos or design layouts to participate. The EDB announced today the list of 10 finalist teams. They will have one month to complete the decoration of their classroom bulletin boards, and members of the judging panel will visit these schools to conduct assessments. The results will also be announced on June 30.

     Meanwhile, a number of schools participated in the "Together We Safeguard Our Nation and Homeland - Community Mosaic Wall" activity today. Students put stickers printed with photos of smiling faces on a display board in their school campus to make up a thematic image of the activity in order to disseminate the messages of safeguarding national security and building a safer and better home together.

Ends/Thursday, April 15, 2021
Issued at HKT 12:13

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