Chairman of the Education Commission (EC), Mr Tim Lui, and various members of the EC, accompanied by Permanent Secretary for Education, Ms Michelle Li, visited Lok Sin Tong Yu Kan Hing Secondary School on 22 July 2022 to learn about the implementation of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education in the school.

The members first received a briefing from the Principal, Mr Lau Chun-hung, on the school’s experience of collaborating with different stakeholders in promoting STEM education. They also exchanged ideas with the teachers and students, and listened to their sharing on unleashing creativity and applying STEM-related knowledge to designing services and products. The members noted that some of the students’ projects had been applied in different fields, benefiting various sectors of the community. For instance, the students developed an application powered by artificial intelligence to assist people with physical disabilities in performing music, and conducted a study on reef restoration in Tolo Harbour with marine technologies. The members encouraged the students to continue to leverage on their innovative thinking and digital technologies, explore their interests and potential, as well as apply the acquired knowledge and realise their talents.

The members later had a meeting with Education Bureau officials and Chairman of the Standing Committee on STEM Education of the Curriculum Development Council, Professor Ng Tai-ki, to exchange views on continuous enhancement of STEM education, recently renamed as STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) education to tie in with the policy objective of the current-term Government, as well as on the nurturing of innovation and technology (I&T) talents. The members were pleased to note that the Government had been committed to promoting STEAM education in primary and secondary schools for all students (i.e. STEAM for ALL) with a host of supporting measures and through diversified strategies, including on-going renewal of curriculum, enhancement of teacher training and provision of resource support and life-wide learning activities, to cultivate students’ creativity, scientific investigation and problem-solving skills from an early age, and enhance their interest and learning motivation in I&T.

The members showed unanimous support for the Government to further enhance the strategies for popularisation of STEAM education with a view to equipping students for the challenges and opportunities ahead and nurturing more I&T talents for Hong Kong.