Secretary for Education Choi Yuk-lin ushered in the new school year with students and teachers as she attended school-opening ceremonies at Tai Po Old Market Public School and Munsang College this morning.

Speaking at a ceremony at Tai Po Old Market Public School, Ms Choi remarked that students are living in a fast-changing world in which innovative technology is developing rapidly.

She highlighted that the Education Bureau is committed to helping students leverage technology so that learning can be more effective and fun. This includes introducing AI education into the curricula, strengthening professional training for teachers, promoting media and information literacy, and supporting schools to use innovative technologies to assist teaching.

She said she was delighted with the school having become a Digital Education Centre of Excellence this academic year, and praised it for continuously enhancing its curriculum, integrating the teaching content of humanities, science and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) subjects, and incorporating values, national identity and innovative problem-solving into its lessons.

The school is committed to creating a smart and happy campus and has established a technology park (the “60iLAB AI Innovation & Technology (I&T) Learning Laboratory”) and an “IEco” ecological park, with a view to enhancing students’ learning and their innovative thinking skills.

Ms Choi also visited the school’s I&T facilities, and heard from teachers and students about its achievements in digital education. She listened to students present I&T projects and praised the projects' integration of innovative technology with Chinese culture.

Ms Choi said she hopes the school will make good use of the new subjects of Primary Humanities and Primary Science to strengthen students’ humanistic qualities and spirit of scientific exploration.

She then attended the "Centenary School Year Commencement Ceremony" of Munsang College.

In a speech, she observed that the bureau places great emphasis on values education as a cornerstone of whole-person development, and prioritises national identity and law-abidingness, integrating these principles into national security education.

Building on these values, Munsang College applies them through various initiatives aimed at deepening students’ understanding and appreciation of Chinese culture and heritage. These include its Chinese Culture Week and student exchange activities with sister schools on the Mainland.

The education chief also commended the school for its dedication to promoting mental health on campus and its active participation in the bureau’s 4Rs (rest, relaxation, relationship and resilience) Mental Health Charter, which aims to enhance mental health awareness among students, teachers and parents.

In addition, the school encourages students to not only pursue academic excellence but also take part in diverse learning experiences and devote themselves to serving others. This ethos aligns closely with the bureau’s vision for whole-person development.

Ms Choi expressed gratitude to the teaching teams of both schools for their devotion to nurturing students.

She encouraged students to seize opportunities in the new school year, keep learning and practicing, and strive to enhance their abilities and qualities so as to contribute to the country’s future development.