Since the fifties, Hong Kong
Christian Service has been providing pre-school education and
nursery care for children aged 2 to 6. At present there are
8 day care centers, 6 are government subvention and 2 are corporate
work based child care centres managed by Hong Kong Christian
Service. Our goal has always been to provide high quality and
professional early childhood education. Exchange of teaching
experience is one way to enhance quality; not only doing so
locally, but also having a close relationship with Beijing Normal
University since 1988. As a continual pursue to further develop
nursery services, to exchange experiences, and to advocate academic
research in both Hong Kong and Mainland China, HKCS in collaboration
with the Education Department of Beijing Normal University has
organised a conference on "Early Childhood Education of
the New Century" from April 12 to16, 2001 at Beijing Normal
University.
The
conference was also co-organised by China Association of Early
Childhood Education and Beijing Fundamental Education Association.
Pre-school education professionals and organisations from Hong
Kong and Beijing as well as neighboring provinces were invited
to participate in this four-day conference. Overall there were
more than two hundred participants. The four main pre-school
education training institutes in Hong Kong, namely Hong Kong
Institute of Vocational Education IVE Lee Wai Lee, Hong Kong
Baptist University, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and Hong
Kong Institute of Education, had sent representatives to participate
in the conference. A good number of principals and supervisors
from some of the well-known nurseries had also participated.
Due to limited quota, only 58 persons representing 23 organisations
from Hong Kong were able to attend.
The
two keynote speakers of the conference were Ms. Xiaoxia Feng,
Professor President of China Association of Early Childhood
Education, and Ms. Betty Woo, Deputy Director of Hong Kong Christian
Service. Professionals in course research, teacher training
and frontline teachers from both places were invited as speakers
in a number of talks and workshops. There were topics like "Early
Childhood Education Reform Towards the 21st Century", "Childhood
Curriculum Reform and Teaching Method Research", "Childhood
Education Reform, Cooperation between Parents and School as
well as Community Education", "Scheme on Curriculum
and Children's Multi-variety Activities". Arrangements
were also made to visit Beijing's rural and urban nurseries
as well as exhibitions of publication and teaching tools. The
conference was indeed an invaluable opportunity for pre-school
education professionals and practitioners to learn and to inspire
by sharing the teaching theories, applications and implementations
of both places.
We have invited feedbacks
from two of the Hong Kong participants:
Ms. Lee Lai Wan, the Department
Head of Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education IVE Lee
Wai Lee Nursery Education, "The conference was well organized
and professional; it was highly academic and worthwhile. We
were most happy to get to know the young and well educated educators
in the Mainland who are also zealous; but due to the tight schedule
of the conference, there wasn't much lag time to talk to them
in a relaxing environment, otherwise it would have been ideal.
I am very pleased with the entire trip......
And Mrs. Lo Chu Yin Kwan, the
General Secretary of Christian and Missionary Alliance Church
Union Hong Kong Limited, "A very successful conference
... I was deeply touched by the liveliness and enthusiasm of
the educators in the Mainland. In spite of their limited resources,
they were able to maintain a high level of efficacy... Their
learning spirit and attitudes of continuous self-improvement
are a good example to us, i.e. read more, write more, learn
more, press forward and continuously improve ourselves. The
trip to Beijing is indeed valuable..."
