SED visits Beijing (with photos)
16.5.2023

The Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, today (May 16) called at the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council (HKMAO) and attended the Joint Opening Ceremony of the Leadership Enhancement Programme for Primary and Secondary School Principals and the Mainland Study Tour for Newly-joined Teachers in Beijing. Dr Choi paid a courtesy call on the Director of the HKMAO, Mr Xia Baolong. Mr Xia showed his care and concern for the education in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). He said he expects the education sector to provide quality education to students. Dr Choi updated Mr Xia on the latest education development of Hong Kong. She expressed her gratitude to the HKMAO for its strong and continual support for the HKSAR Government in promoting better integration of the education sector into the overall national development and leveraging Hong Kong's strengths to contribute to the needs of the country. Dr Choi also accompanied Mr Xia to visit Hong Kong principals and teachers attending the Beijing-Hong Kong Basic Education Forum at Beijing Normal University. Mr Xia said that he had fond memories of visiting universities, a secondary school and a primary school during his earlier tour in Hong Kong. He encouraged Hong Kong principals and teachers to work hard at their jobs after returning to Hong Kong from the study tour in Beijing and strive to be children's favourite good principals and teachers. Addressing the joint opening ceremony she attended in the morning, Dr Choi thanked the Ministry of Education, the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR and the Beijing Municipal Education Commission for their guidance. She also thanked the National Academy of Governance and Beijing Normal University for their whole-hearted support in organising the two training programmes. She said she believes that Hong Kong principals and teachers will find it a good opportunity to raise their professional capability by receiving training at these two quality education institutions in the capital. She pointed out that the Education Bureau will further foster exchanges and collaboration with the Mainland in multiple levels, areas and formats, and promote sharing of experience in subject development and educational research. It will make use of the education training for teachers offered by top-performing higher education institutions on the Mainland to enable principals and teachers in Hong Kong and on the Mainland to learn from one another and work together to promote quality education. In addition, Dr Choi visited Renmin University of China and met its leaders yesterday (May 15). She said that higher education institutions in Hong Kong and Beijing have been conducting professional exchanges in various ways, including the establishment of the Beijing-Hong Kong Universities Alliance in 2018. Co-operation among the higher education institutions covers talent cultivation, student admission and employment, and scientific research. She also interacted with Hong Kong students studying at Peking University and Renmin University of China respectively to understand their learning and daily lives in Beijing. On the same day, Dr Choi visited the National Academy of Governance and met its leaders. She thanked the academy for enabling primary and secondary school principals in Hong Kong to learn about the latest development of education and other major areas on the Mainland through job shadowing and study tours. Dr Choi will conclude the visit and return to Hong Kong tonight.