The following is issued on behalf of the Education Commission:
The Chairman of the Education Commission, Dr David Wong, welcomed the education initiatives announced in "The Chief Executive's 2023 Policy Address" delivered today (October 25).
Dr Wong said, "As the Chairman of the Education Commission, I support the Government's commitment to elevate the quality of education and foster multifaceted exchanges in education between Hong Kong and the Mainland and the rest of the world, with a view to developing Hong Kong into an international post-secondary education hub, thereby creating strong impetus for the development of Hong Kong education and nurturing talent for the future.
"I support the Education Bureau (EDB) to leverage the excellent foundation of our diversified and internationalised post-secondary education, increase the admission quota of non-local students to Government-funded post-secondary institutions and expand scholarship schemes to attract more outstanding students from around the world to further their studies in Hong Kong, and take forward the development of educational infrastructure in the Northern Metropolis. At the same time, the EDB will raise the status of vocational and professional education and training, facilitate the development of universities of applied sciences, establish the Hong Kong Institute of Information Technology, and enhance mutual recognition of qualifications with the Mainland to provide diversified pathways for our young people. The multipronged initiatives will enlarge our talent pool to support the rapid development of our country."
He added, "I am pleased to note that the Government strives to build mainstream values characterised by patriotism with affection for our country and Hong Kong and in conformity with the principle of 'one country, two systems'. The EDB will introduce a subject in primary schools on humanities with enriched elements of Chinese culture, history and geography, enrich the contents of the Values Education Curriculum Framework and emphasise the role of Chinese culture as the backbone of values education, and strengthen training for teachers, hence promoting national education within and beyond campus in a holistic manner.
"Talent is the engine that drives and fosters innovation and technology development. I, therefore, support the EDB's diversified strategies to strengthen the promotion of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics) education in primary and secondary schools, including the introduction of Science subject in primary schools, to equip our students with the competencies needed for the 21st century from an early age and step up the efforts to identify and cultivate local talent with great potential, with a view to bringing a new force in innovation and technology for our country and Hong Kong."
Dr Wong also appreciated the Government's utmost efforts in building a caring and inclusive society. The establishment of resource teachers for aided special schools and schools for social development will be optimised to strengthen the support for students with special education needs. Also, there will be further enhanced support for non-Chinese speaking students who call Hong Kong home to encourage their mastery of the Chinese language to facilitate their integration into the community.
"Education is a mission to cultivate values and nurture talent. Young people are the cornerstone of Hong Kong's future. The Education Commission will continue to render advice and work in concerted efforts with the Government and enhance the quality of education with the mission of meeting the development needs of our students, to nurture amongst our teenagers a strong affection for our country and their understanding of the world, thereby building a better future for our country, our city and themselves," Dr Wong said.
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