Commission on Children convenes 17th meeting

     The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, today (May 25) chaired the 17th meeting of the Commission on Children (CoC).

     At the meeting, members were briefed by the representative of the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau on the Youth Development Blueprint announced by the Government in December 2022. The Blueprint outlines the overall vision and guiding principles for the Government's long-term youth development work. In the four chapters of the Blueprint that refer to different development stages of youth, the chapter "Exploration" highlights that young people transitioning from childhood to adulthood are at the enlightenment stage of their lives. They should be encouraged to explore and acquire the necessary skills and knowledge, and be instilled with positive values to help them develop talent and prepare for their future pursuits. Members welcomed the array of over 160 specific actions and measures in the Blueprint and offered views on how the Government should join with various sectors of society to implement the initiatives effectively.

     Moreover, members discussed the views collected from children and stakeholders (including parents, school principals, teachers, social workers and healthcare professionals) in an engagement session organised by the CoC in early May on the challenges of moving on from the COVID-19 epidemic and resuming normal school life. The children were generally happy with the resumption of school life, yet experienced anxiety about restoring the routine and adjusting to the schoolwork pattern. The stakeholders were concerned about children's socialising and academic skills, eye health and physical fitness, Internet surfing habits, etc. Members said that they were pleased to note the Government's steadfast implementation of a series of support measures for children, families and schools. They include enhancing learning activities within and beyond the classroom, nurturing positive thinking, strengthening mental health, and offering guidelines on healthy digital screen time. Also, the Government has been providing support for children with special needs and children having recovered from COVID-19 to assist with their early adjustment to normal school life.