While the Social Development Bureau of Shanghai Pudong New Area values the economic development of the area, improvement in quality education has not been overlooked. The Bureau has been operated in a five-year review system in that all policies are reviewed and renewed once every five years. In the tenth of this five-year cycle, the implementation of school social work in Pudong New Area School System was then regarded as one of the legislative policies of Pudong New Area Education Development. Furthermore, the Department has listed " The Implementation of School Social Work in Pudong New Area School System" as one of the leading projects in 2002. As such, jointly with Pudong New Area Social Worker Association, the Bureau establishes an official Project Action Plan. For this program, HKCS was invited as one of the external parties to assist in the areas of curriculum research and design, training as well as the service policy writer of social work stations. Madam Ma yi-li, Director of the Pudong Social Development Bureau and Mr. Ng shui-lai, Director of HKCS had graciously agreed to be the Advisors for the project.

During this crucial period of development for the program, associates from HKCS had actively participated in the project's training session for a three-day training event in mid-June. The first day, a seminar was held for approximately 100 school principals and teaching professionals from 38 primary and secondary schools. In order to enhance the subjectivity among the principals and teachers toward the level and function of school social work in Hong Kong, HKCS particularly invited Principal Hui chun-yim, the President of HK Subsidized-Secondary School Association to be the keynote speaker on "My View of School Social Work". The following two days, Chow hor-yee (supervisor of school social work service) and Yeung yin (a frontline school social worker), both of HKCS, conducted four sessions of practical workshop for these school social workers. The results from these workshops were satisfactory.

Recently, HKCS hosted five delegates from Shanghai Pudong New Area Social Development Bureau for a month of investigative research and training. The goal for this visit is to gain an understanding of school social work from several target areas. Such areas are: 1) the operation process of school social work service in Hong Kong; 2) the collaboration with government divisions and social bodies; and 3) effective implementation and skills required as school social work professionals. As part of the training, field visits to government departments and related organizations in students and youth were arranged together with various topical studies.

We look forward to seeing the joint efforts between all parties yield a future of professionalism in the area of social services in Pudong even into the whole of China.