EDB launches video series on good books recommended by celebrities

     The "Lifelong Love of Reading: Good Books Recommended by Celebrities" video series jointly produced by the Education Bureau (EDB) and Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) for the promotion of reading was launched on the RTHK TV 31 and EDB Educational Television (ETV) website (etv.edb.gov.hk/home.aspx) today (January 30).
      
     The series consists of eight three-minute videos featuring eight celebrities, namely the Permanent Secretary for Education, Mrs Ingrid Yeung; Mok Hing Yiu Professor of Medicine of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Professor Joseph Sung; parent-child relationship and parenting educator, Ms Shirley Loo; the former president of the Legislative Council, Mr Jasper Tsang; early childhood educator Ms Ponny Shum; the Chairman of the Committee on Home-School Co-operation, Mr Henry Tong; Hong Kong high jump team member Ms Cecilia Yeung; and playwright Ms Chong Mui-ngam. They will share aspects of their reading experience and recommend good books to arouse public interest in reading.
      
     The first to share the joy of reading today is the Permanent Secretary for Education, Mrs Ingrid Yeung. She will talk about her reading experience and a touching story she has read. The rest of the series will be rolled out soon.
      
     "Lifelong Love of Reading: Good Books Recommended by Celebrities" is the third series jointly produced by the EDB and RTHK. The other two are the "Lifelong Love of Reading: The Reading Atmosphere in Schools", which features schools' good practices in the promotion of reading, and "Lifelong Love of Reading: Sharing the Joy of Reading", which looks at the experience of scholars, writers and artists in developing children's reading interest and habits. Besides RTHK TV 31 and EDB ETV, these series are also available at the Hong Kong Education City (HKEdCity) ETV website (www.hkedcity.net) and the ETV mobile application.
      
     "The benefits of reading are endless. The EDB is committed to the promotion of reading and collaborates closely with schools to organise various activities and provide resources. In the latest 'Secondary Education Curriculum Guide', schools are encouraged to extend 'Reading to Learn' to 'Reading across the Curriculum' and 'Language across the Curriculum' with a view to broadening students' knowledge base and connecting their learning experiences in different subjects," an EDB spokesman said.
      
     "We will organise two large-scale reading activities, namely the 'Joyful Reading Carnival' and the '2019 World Book Day Fest – Towards a Reading City: Folktaleoscope' in March and April respectively this year. We will collaborate with schools and reading-related groups to organise a wide range of activities and create a vigorous and lively atmosphere to encourage more students, teachers, parents and the general public to enjoy reading," the spokesman said. 
      
     Building on the existing foundation and strengths, the EDB will engage different stakeholders in cultivating a reading atmosphere and promoting a reading culture. The aim is to nurture students' interest and help them develop a reading habit from a young age so that they will enjoy it and develop their thinking skills and creativity, and thereby sustain the development of a reading atmosphere and culture across the city.