LCQ15: Off-school STEAM courses
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Question:
It is learnt that many parents have enrolled their children in STEAM (i.e. Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) courses conducted outside of school, hoping to cultivate their children's interest in these relevant disciplines. However, there are views pointing out that, in order to increase enrolment within the same class sessions, certain course providers overlook the differences in learning abilities among students of varying ages and employ identical teaching materials for pupils from Primary One to Primary Six. Such practices call into question the effectiveness of teaching and learning. Furthermore, it has been reported that, in recent days, a three-year-old child participating in a STEAM interest class at an external organisation sustained scald injuries from hot milk in the course of an experiment. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) of the number of requests for assistance or complaints received by the authorities regarding off-school STEAM courses/interest classes over the past three years; the main subject matters of such requests and complaints, and the specific follow-up measures taken by the authorities;
(2) whether the authorities will formulate a safety management protocol for off-school STEAM courses by drawing reference from guidelines such as the Safety Handbook for Primary Science and the Handbook on Safety in Science Laboratories; if so, of the specific standards of such a protocol and the timetable for its implementation; if not, whether the authorities will expeditiously commence a study to enhance the safety standards for off-school STEAM courses so as to prevent further accidents; and
(3) whether the authorities have finalised an accreditation system for teachers, teaching materials and curricula to be established for off-school STEAM courses, and delineated the appropriate age ranges for students to participate in such courses; if so, of the specific accreditation standards and the implementation timetable; if not, whether the authorities will expeditiously commence a study to establish an accreditation system for off-school STEAM courses, with a view to assisting parents in choosing suitable courses for their children?
Reply:
President,
According to sections 3(1) and 10 of the Education Ordinance, any institution, organisation or establishment which provides for 20 or more persons during any one day or 8 or more persons at any one time, any nursery, kindergarten, primary, secondary or post secondary education or any other educational course by any means is required to be registered or provisionally registered as a school. Private schools which offer educational courses such as tutorial, commercial, computer, language courses and courses for repeaters are all categorised as private schools offering non-formal curriculum (PSNFCs). Subject to compliance with specified conditions under the Education (Exemption) Private Schools Offering Non-formal Curriculum) Order, PSNFCs are exempt from certain requirements of the provisions of Education Ordinance and Education Regulations relating to fees, employment of teachers and teachers' qualifications, principals, holidays and hours of instruction.
In response to Professor the Hon William Wong's questions, the reply is as follows:
(1) In the past three years, the Education Bureau (EDB) has not received any requests for assistance or complaints relating to participation in off-school STEAM courses provided by schools other than those offering formal curriculum.
(2) and (3) The Safety Handbook for Primary Science and Handbook on Safety in Science Laboratories, issued by the EDB, provide references and guidelines for safety matters of Primary Science and secondary science laboratories respectively. They assist schools, when arranging science learning activities and experiments, in aspects such as safety management, risk assessment, equipment storage, etc, so as to ensure the safety of teachers and students. In addition to schools implementing the Primary Science curriculum and secondary science subject curricula, other registered schools offering non-local/non-formal curricula may also refer to these guidelines.
PSNFCs mainly provide tutorial services to students receiving formal school education, which constitute an optional rather than mandatory service. For this type of school, the main role of the EDB is to ensure its compliance with the requirements on school premises safety, hygiene, accommodation, teachers' qualifications, and collection of fees under the Education Ordinance. In this connection, the EDB has no intention to set up a certification system for the STEAM courses offered by these PSNFCs.
It should be noted that all schools are responsible for ensuring compliance with relevant ordinances and regulations when arranging science activities and experiments, including the Education Regulations (particularly regulations 21, 24, 26, 27, 31, 32 and 33), the Education Ordinance, the Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance, and regulations related to dangerous goods and disposal of chemical waste.
Ends/Wednesday, July 23, 2025
Issued at HKT 11:00
Issued at HKT 11:00
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