Task Force on Home-school Co-operation and Parent Education submits review report
29.4.2019

The Task Force on Home-school Co-operation and Parent Education set up under the Education Commission (EC) has completed its review on the existing approach in promoting home-school co-operation and parent education in order to formulate the directions and strategies for fostering both. The Task Force today (April 29) submitted the review report to the Education Bureau (EDB). The Chairman of the Task Force, Mr Tim Lui said, "A healthy and pleasant environment is conducive to the physical and psychological growth of children while parents play a pivotal role in their children's development and learning. "We hope that through universal, diversified and innovative home-school co-operation and parent education activities, we can strengthen the mindset of parents and help them become happier and more positive, facilitate parent's comprehensive understanding of their children's developmental needs and strengthen their ability, knowledge, skills and attitude in parenting, with a view to minimising possible negative thinking and changing their mindset of excessive competition so as to create an enjoyable and healthy learning and living environment for students." At the invitation of the EDB, the Task Force was set up in December 2017. It has examined the promotion of home-school co-operation and parent education in Hong Kong and other regions, and has also reviewed the findings of relevant local studies and parent education programmes and activities provided by local tertiary institutions and non-governmental organisations. During the review, the Task Force had a number of in-depth discussions with stakeholders, released a consultation document and held consultation sessions to collect views from stakeholders and the public. The Task Force has put forward 18 recommendations in its report, including the provision of more resources to schools, Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) and Federations of Parent-Teacher Associations, the increase in the Set-Up Grant for PTAs in kindergartens, launching of a territory-wide "Positive Parents Campaign", the provision of subsidies for schools to implement school-based activities under the "Positive Parent Campaign" and commissioning of tertiary institutions/non-government organisations to design and develop a curriculum framework for parent education, e-learning programmes, workplace parent education courses, etc. The recommendations are set out in the Annex. Having received the review report, the Secretary for Education, Mr Kevin Yeung said, "I would like to express my deep gratitude to the Chairman, Mr Lui, and all of the members of the Task Force for their hard work and professionalism in conducting the review. "The EDB is dedicated to fostering home-school co-operation and parent education. The Task Force has proposed comprehensive measures on these two areas to further assist us in achieving the goals of creating a suitable environment for children to grow up healthily and happily, and discouraging the culture of excessive competition. The EDB will study the report and recommendations carefully so as to take appropriate follow-up actions and implement the feasible recommendations in phases to benefit parents and students with different needs." The full review report can be viewed on the EC website www.e-c.edu.hk/en/publications_and_related_documents/education_reports.html .