Balancing

play and pressure

a parents dilemma
Youth
Volume 6 Number 2 June 2014 a quarterly journal from the hongkong federation of youth groups
H O N G K O N G
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YOUTH HONG KONG published quarterly
by The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups
EDITORIAL BOARD
Rosanna Wong
Elaine Morgan (Editor)
Ada Chau (Assistant Editor)
Angela Ngai
Lakshmi Jacot
William Chung
Henry Poon
CIRCULATION (unaudited)
11,000-12,000 in Hong Kong, throughout
the region and overseas
VIEWS EXPRESSED are the authors and interviewees'
may come from official sources, and do not necessarily
reflect the views of the editorial board or publisher
REPRODUCTION OF CONTENTS without written
permission from the publisher is prohibited
INTERVIEWS & PERSPECTIVE
Elaine Morgan
Ada Chau
OTHER CONTRIBUTORS
Lakshmi Jacot
Education Post
Amanda Xiang
Ivan Chau
Virginia Addison
Sam Ip
Mindy Li
Hilary Lok
Ng Tsz-man
Cindy Lam
HKFYG unit staff
TRANSLATION
Ada Chau
Henry Poon
PHOTOGRAPHS
Courtesy of The HKFYG KK Cheng Kindergarten
and the Playright Childrens Play Association.
Other photographs by Elaine Morgan, Ada Chau,
acknowledged as captioned, or in public domain.
ARTWORK
Sam Suen, DG3
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DG3 Asia Ltd
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THE HONG KONG FEDERATION OF YOUTH
GROUPS was founded in 1960 and is one of the
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CORE SERVICES Counselling, Creativity Education
& Youth Exchange, Education, Employment,
Leadership Training, Leisure, Cultural & Sports, M21
Multimedia, Parenting, Research & Publications,
Youth at Risk, Volunteering, Youth SPOTs
MEDIA PARTNER Education Post
4-6
HIGHLIGHT
Pressured parents
Pressured children
19-25
TEACHERS SPEAK
Tutorial schools
Kindergarten
principals
EDUCATION POST
26-31
YOUTH SPEAK
YOUTH WATCH
Virginia Addison
32-50
FEATURES
Food, culture & sport
City space
HKFYG

Contents
HIGHLIGHT
4 Lakshmi Jacot
Pressured parents, pressured children
INTERVIEW
7 Nirmala Rao, HKU
Faculty of Education, HKU
PARENTS SPEAK
9 Eight parents talk about balance
13 Lau Yu-lung, HKU
Department of Paediatrics and
Adolescent Medicine
PERSPECTIVE
15 Kathy Wong
Playright
18 HKFYG Youth Assessment &
Development Centre
TEACHERS SPEAK
19 Tutorial schools
Choice for parents
20 Two principals
Kindergarten admission
EDUCATION POST
24 Educational and clinical psychologists
& brain development specialist
Quality time, not force-feeding
YOUTH SPEAK
26 Amanda Xiang
27 Ivan Chau
Too much pressure
YOUTH WATCH
28 Virginia Addison
Early childhood care and education
around the world
FOOD, CULTURE & SPORT
32 Sam Ip
35 Mindy Li
36 Hilary Lok
CITY SPACE
37 Ng Tsz-man
39 Cindy Lam
Communicating and innovation
40 William Wong
Alternative energy
HKFYG
42 China Week 2014
44 Hong Kong 200
45 10,000 Xu Beihong horses
46 Jade Art at PMQ
47 Community Studio
Hong Kong Youth Service Award
48 Five-Year Plan, Book Fair
49 On the agenda
Youth
Hong Kong
June 2014
Volume 6
Number 2
7-8
INTERVIEW
Nirmala Rao
Faculty of Education
HKU
9-18
PARENTS SPEAK
Lau Yu-lung, HKU
PERSPECTIVE
Kathy Wong
Playright
HKFYG
YADC
by AndrewForster
https://www.flickr.com/
photos/60371793@N07/5549657712
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Cover image
E
very parent wants to give their child the best possible advantages in
life, beginning with education at the earliest age. However, instead of
this life journey starting with fun and play, and an ease of learning, it
is now accompanied by packed schedules and numerous classes in all manner of
disciplines. All this, parents argue, so the children might have the competitive
edge and the portfolios to get into the primary schools of their choice.
This is a dilemma that I believe faces parents around the world:
how to provide every possible learning advantage for their children,
encouraging them to learn, but also allowing them time to play.
We discuss this topic and hear from parents, youth, and specialists in education, medicine
and psychology. Each share their experience and wisdom. While most conclude that the
current situation is unsatisfactory, the pressure on parents to conform remains strong.
If you are a parent, an educator, or had a pressured childhood yourself, do
let us know about your experience. We need a broader understanding of how
we raise tomorrows adults and look forward to hearing from you.
Dr Rosanna Wong, DBE, JP
Executive Director, HKFYG
June 2014
Youth Hong Kong
Editorial
3
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Pressured parents,
pressured children
W
hen should children go to school? How much should they learn?
What types of extracurricular activities should they do? For how long
do they need to play? Why is everyone so stressed? The author
addresses all these questions and argues that the pressures parents feel are
passed on to their children.
By Lakshmi Jacot
An article in the New Scientist
1
raised the question
of what age is best for a child to begin formal
education. The article, published at a time of vigorous
debate among education experts and politicians,
explores anthropological, psychological, neuro-
scientific and educational studies that argue the later
a childs entry into formal education, the better. It
reports on a group of childhood experts who are
calling for it to be deferred until the age of seven.
The debate in England, where at present children go
to primary school at four years old, intensified this
year. In March, the UK Department for Education
advocated earlier formal teaching of literacy and
numeracy and earlier formal assessment of children. It
then announced a new assessment test for four year-
olds, to be introduced in 2016.
2
Next, the annual
report from OFSTED, the UK Office for Standards in
Education, Children's Services and Skills, was issued.
It called for schools to take two year-olds,
3
saying that
a change of emphasis from a play-based approach to
teaching of language and counting skills was needed at
nursery school, especially for disadvantaged children.
Youth Hong Kong
Highlight
| June 2014
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The anxious parent, burdened by such contradictory
opinions and societal pressures, is confused, naturally.
No one disputes the importance of early learning.
Scientific research has long validated the receptivity
and responsiveness of the brain from the moment of
birth. Children are born ready to learn, and early life
experiences coupled with environment are accepted
as strong developmental influences. In the 1960s,
American parents were already being told that, If you
did not start teaching children when they were young
a golden opportunity for
learning would be lost.
4

For both parents and
educators, the problem
lies in deciding what
type of learning the child
should be exposed to, and
at what age. Should pre-school learning be concerned
with an emphasis on academic achievement? Should
early learning be about exposure and experiences in
a more loosely constructed environment without
being oriented towards results of assessment tests?
In Hong Kong, as early as 1984, Early Childhood
Education Curriculum Development Documents
stressed play, active participation and first-hand
experience as the basis of early learning. One 1996
document went so far as to state, Factual knowledge
obtained through stereotype textbook teaching or rote-
learning is only superficial. These teaching methods
will only curb the creativity and cognitive thinking
of children, and do not guarantee that children can
remember and make use of the knowledge acquired.
5
In fact, this official guidance does not match
todays reality. Hong Kong kindergartens, and
kindergarten-cum-childcare centres, are registered
with the Education Bureau but are privately run.
As a result, the type of learning offered and how it
is offered, falls under the general guidelines of the
Guide to the Pre-primary Curriculum. According to
the Education Bureau, the curriculum should be
formulated simply, according to the basic principles
of childrens development and childrens learning.
6
This autonomy allows many institutions to be more
rigorous in their offerings than was recommended back
in 1984. They emphasise measurable accomplishment
and achievements through class and home work,
as well as tests. And for many parents here, as
elsewhere in the world, this is the preferred option.
Such parents argue that because entry into both
kindergartens and primary schools is so highly
competitive, their children need to have a portfolio of
impressive testimonials and certificates. They feel the
need to be able to prove that the child is bi-literate
in English and Chinese,
trilingual in English,
Cantonese and Mandarin,
and has rudimentary
knowledge of addition
and subtraction, not to
mention the ability to play
a musical instrument, some
artistic potential, competence in at least one sport,
and possibly some experience of voluntary work.
All before the age of five years and eight months!
7
Meanwhile, nursery schools, pre-kindergarten and
other pre-school institutions, when asked to justify
their heavy academic and learning styles, claim that
they are simply responding to parental demands. In
the Hong Kong context this is what Dora Ho Choi-
wa of the Hong Kong Institute of Education has called
the intensification of pre-school learning which has
resulted in kindergarten graduates already having
learned what has to be learned in Primary One.
8
Are parental expectations at the root of this increasingly
intense early learning because of pressure to get
children into reputable kindergartens and primary
schools? Or do the early learning institutions play
perhaps unwittingly upon parental insecurities,
thereby fostering the pressurized and often profitable
acquisition of knowledge? The likelihood is that
each work upon, and intensify, the other.
There are parents, albeit a minority, who refuse to
succumb to such pressures and are reluctant to put their
children under so much stress. They seek alternative
early learning opportunities in an environment that
emphasizes play and interactive engagement, with
less reliance on books and formal classroom teaching.
They are looking for ways to stimulate and motivate
Youth Hong Kong
Highlight
June 2014 |
5
The anxious parent, unsure
what to do with their children,
is confused by contradictory
opinions from professionals
and societal pressures
their children through learning that is not just about
examination results but about strengthening social
skills, enhancing emotional wellbeing and encouraging
health and fitness as indispensable elements of all-
round development and cognitive growth.
In Hong Kong, this type of multi-faceted learning
exists but there is no clear or unified approach on how
to practise teaching through play alone. One study
has found that teachers themselves, due in part to
parental expectations, tend to lean more towards the
instrumental value rather than [the] intrinsic value
of play.
9
They see play serving multiple functions,
including recreation, learning, development and
even class management, especially in kindergartens.
Research quoted in the same source also shows that
play in Hong Kong kindergartens is perceived as
peripheral to learning, a form of reward for academic
learning, but in most cases play that is directly
related to childrens learning outcomes is preferred.
Sources and further reading
1. Whitebread, David and Bingham, Sue. Too much, too young: Should
schooling start at age 7? New Scientist Magazine Issue 2943, 18 November
2013. At http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg22029435.000-too-much-
too-young-should-schooling-start-at-age-7.html?full=true&print=true
2. The Guardian, Schools will be allowed to test four-year-olds from 2016,
government confirms http://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/
mar/27/four-year-olds-compulsory-tests-2016-government-confirms
3. OFSTED, First Early Years report highlights importance of teaching and learning
in pre-school settings at http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/news/first-early-years-report-
highlights-importance-of-teaching-and-learning-pre-school-settings-0
4. Elkind, D. The Hurried Child. Cambridge, Mass: Da Capo, 2007.
5. Fung, Chanel Kit-Ho and John Chi-Kin Lee, A Critical Review of Early Childhood
Education (ECE Curriculum Documents in Hong Kong in Journal of Basic Education,
Vol. 17 No. 1, 2008. The Chinese University of Hong Kong 2008, pgs 40-41. http://
hkier.fed.cuhk.edu.hk/journal/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/jbe_v17n1_33-57.pdf
6. Overview of Kindergarten Education in Hong Kong, Education
Bureau, HKSAR Government. http://www.edb.gov.hk/en/edu-
system/preprimary-kindergarten/overview/index.html
7. According to the Education Bureau, a child who reaches 5 years and 8 months
is eligible for entry to Primary One. For the September 2014 intake, this would
mean a child born on or before the 31
st
December 2008. See http://www.edb.
gov.hk/en/edu-system/primary-secondary/spa-systems/primary-1-admission/
index.html and http://www.edb.gov.hk/attachment/en/edu-system/primary-
secondary/spa-systems/primary-1-admission/poa2014_leaflet_en.pdf
8. Tam, Luisa. An innovative way forward in childhood education is gathering pace,
South China Morning Post, 11 November 2013. http://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-
education/article/1350858/innovative-way-forward-early-childhood-education
9. Yang, Yanjuan and Ye Yang, Teachers Interpretations of Play in Chinese
Early Childhood Classrooms. European Conference on Education, 2013,
organized by The International Academic Forum. http://www.iafor.
org/offprints/ece2013-offprints/ECE2013_Offprint_0191.pdf
This discrepancy between the rhetoric and reality of
play helps assuage parental anxiety to a certain degree.
On the one hand, they can convince themselves that
their children are not being put through rigorous
classroom learning too early in life. On the other
hand, they can comfort themselves that pedagogy
is still taking place and their childrens journey
to primary school is not hindered in any way.
What all parents want is an educational journey
for their child that is not wholly dissimilar to that
of their peers. This is pressure to conform and it
is transmitted to their children, in the name of
competitiveness, aspiration and excellence.

Youth Hong Kong

Highlight
| June 2014
6
Are parental expectations at
the root of todays increasingly
intense early learning ?
M
any Hong Kong parents who can aford the fees enroll children as young as 18
months in playgroups and classes. Is this because they expect them to face a lot of
competition, or is it just to help them develop? Professor Nirmala Rao of the
Faculty of Education, University of Hong Kong, told us what she thought of the trend.
Why do you think so many Hong Kong parents
want to send their children to classes when they
are young?
Just as many parents see kindergarten/pre-school as a
preparation for primary school, they see pre-k classes
as a preparation for kindergarten. They feel it will
help them to get into the kindergarten of their choice.
Do you think this is good for children of average
ability?
It really depends on the child and the focus of the
classes. If the child does not have siblings or playmates
in the neighbourhood, attending playgroups provides
them with an opportunity to socialize with their
peers. If the classes focus on playing and doing
things that children enjoy, I do not think there is any
harm in children participating in such activities.
What is good for children to learn before the
age of three?
Early childhood educators want to promote
childrens holistic development. Hence, it is good
to provide opportunities for the promotion of
their physical, social, emotional, cognitive and
language development. For example, opportunities
for physical play and outdoor activity help,
because even young children in Hong Kong
tend to have sedentary home-based leisure
activities such as TV and computer games.
Children also need to be exposed to other children.
It is also important that parents are sensitive to
the childs needs and interests. If a young child
really enjoys swimming or playing the piano then
it is good to offer them opportunities to do so.
Play and learning
two sides of the same coin
Youth Hong Kong
Interview
June 2014 |
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Is there an ideal balance between early
structured learning and learning-through-play?
Actually I do not think there is a dichotomy between
play and learning. For young children, play and
learning are two sides of the same coin. Children
need both free play and playful learning with adult
guidance to prepare them for formal primary school.
Can pressure to learn in pre-kindergarten years
have negative effects on children when they are
older?
It has been argued that putting too much pressure
on children when they are too young leads to stress
and has negative effects on their motivation.
What advice would you give to parents who
want to build their childs portfolio at a very
early age?
I really would not recommend building a
portfolio for a young child. Parents should provide
opportunities for holistic, all-round development
and be attuned to childrens interests, within limits.
Do you think there has been any significant
change in attitudes to early learning recently in
Hong Kong?
Yes, there in an awareness of the importance of the
early years and a concern about getting the child into
the pre-school of choice, hence parents want children
to be well-prepared to get into that pre-school.
Can anything be done to ease the pressure for
early learning that now affects both parents
and children?
Public education can help, such as that offered
at a seminar for parents during the International
Forum on Kindergarten Education at the
University of Hong Kong last autumn.
Professor Nirmala Rao is an
expert researcher in the fields of
Early Childhood Development and
Education; Child Development and
Educational Policy; Developmental
and Educational Psychology; Culture
and Pedagogy and a member of
the Faculty of Education, University
of Hong Kong. She is also a member of the Committee
on Free Kindergarten Education, set up in 2013.
In the 2014 Policy Address, Hong Kongs Chief Executive
said that, Providing 15-year free education and
better quality kindergarten education is our aim. We
have set up a dedicated committee to study how to
practicably implement free kindergarten education.
The committee is consulting stakeholders. It is
expected to make recommendations in 2015-2016.
Publications include:
Rao, N., Zhou, J., & Sun, J. (eds.) Early childhood
education in Chinese societies. Dordrecht,
Netherlands: Springer (in preparation).
Rao, N. et al. Teaching in primary schools in China and India:
Contexts of learning. Abingdon, UK: Routledge, 2013.
Rao, N. et al. Early childhood development and cognitive
development in developing countries: A rigorous
literature review. DFID, UK Government, 2013.
Rao, N. et al. Final Report. Development of the East Asia-
Pacific Early Child Development Scales (EAP-ECDS).
Singapore: Asia Pacific Network for Early Childhood, 2012.
Rao, N., & Sun, J. Early childhood care and education
in the Asia-Pacific region: Moving towards Goal
1. Hong Kong: Comparative Education Research
Centre, University of Hong Kong/UNESCO, 2010.
Chan, C.K.K., & Rao, N. (eds.). Revisiting the
Chinese learner: Changing contexts, changing
education. University of Hong Kong: Comparative
Education Research Centre/Springer, 2009.

Youth Hong Kong

Interview
| June 2014
8
P
arents are very aware of the pressures related to early learning. On the one hand,
they believe that to ensure competitiveness, their children should attend as many
diverse classes as possible. On the other hand, they worry about the fatigue, and
the mental and emotional stress that accompany too much organized activity. Eight of
them recount their experience and explain how they try to balance lives.
A delicate
balance
Youth Hong Kong
Parents speak
June 2014 |
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Jane, a single mother with a professional career, has two
children in junior secondary school. She is particularly
aware of the dilemma that parents face. Of course
every parent wants their child to succeed and to learn.
The issue is not about learning per se, it is about
wanting your child to learn far more than is necessary
for a specific age group. But if every other parent is
pushing their child to
succeed, who is brave
enough to stand up
against the flow?
In some instances parents insist that they do. Frank,
an engineer, and his university professor wife have
a six-year-old boy. He is waitlisted for a place at
a Montessori school. Frank believes that free play
is critical for childrens creative development. He
argues that his son should be as free to play and read
as much as he likes. Outside the home, we prefer
playgrounds and public playrooms to organized play.
Kids are able to develop better when few expectations
are placed on them. They learn by interacting
with others, find playmates and improvise.
I certainly do not want to put too much pressure
on my son either, says Ah Keng, an NGO
worker with a retail manager husband. I will
teach him about basic discipline, the alphabet,
numbers and understanding simple instructions.
I will also practise good manners with him.
Being acutely aware of the numerous classes on offer
to parents who want their children to have a more
formal learning environment, Ah Keng knows it
will be difficult to resist. She tells herself to stand
firm and hopes not to end up sending my son
to too many classes. But she is fully aware that
the reality might change as her child gets older.
Carol, who works in the financial sector with her
husband, had a baby girl earlier this year. Already she
feels the pressure to conform. Its easy to point the
finger at so-called monster parenting, but it can be
hard to resist the pressure. Hong Kong is a competitive
society and the rivalry for places in desirable schools
has progressively worked its way down: from secondary
schools, to primary schools, to kindergartens, to
pre-nursery classes and even to playgroups.
While not yet faced with actually putting her daughter
into a structured learning environment, Carol finds that
other members of her family have conformed to the
norm. My relatives have children aged three to seven,
and all of them attend language classes at weekends,
not to mention swimming, ballet and drawing lessons
on weekdays after school. The parents tell me that they
actually dont want to put their
children through all of these,
but because of Hong Kongs
system, they think theyll be at
a disadvantage if they dont.
Lisa, who works in logistics, and her husband, an IT
software technician, have two boys. One is aged 14
months and the other is four years old. Lisa agrees that
wanting to get into good schools prompts parents to
send children to extra classes. Even though her four-
year-old is enrolled in English, Putonghua, taekwondo
and drawing classes, she argues that this is more to
give him exposure rather than to pressure him to
learn. I dont believe I am pushing him too hard.
If I did, he would tell me. I think he should try out
a few of these classes to see what he likes. There are
so many of them, all very close to where we live.
However, Where language is concerned, Lisa
continues, its different. A lot of research says that
the key to learning languages is to learn them at a
young age. I dont expect my son to speak English
and Putonghua very well yet, but I do hope he will
find it easier to learn foreign languages in future
as a result of the classes he is taking now.
Most parents agree that acquiring language skills
justifies sending their children to classes at an early
age. Fang-wei, for example, who has a son in the third
year of kindergarten. She and her husband work long
shifts and really want a better future for their son.
I have heard from other parents that the childrens
English level is so low that they will have trouble in
primary school. This scares me and so I have started to
prepare him early. My boy has extra tutorial classes for
English spelling and English reading twice a week.
Youth Hong Kong
Parents speak
| June 2014
10
Who is this really for? Is it for
the child or for the parent?
Its the education system that creates this awful
pressure, Fang-wei continues. Originally I wanted
him to start extra tuition at primary school. But after
learning that the academic burden would be so heavy,
we started in K3 instead. Some of my friends started
private lessons in K1, but I am not convinced. Its too
early. Even if the children learn something, they will
forget. If you push them too hard, they lose interest.
By contrast, Dora, a full-time mother, believes firmly
that pushing children is not a bad idea at all. She
enrolled her four-year-old son in an English phonics
class with a native speaker. I make him go for his
own sake, even though he is reluctant. Dora argues
that he is more capable than he seems. In her eyes, her
son is lazy and pretends not to know the answers so
that he gets more help. He also does taekwondo and
violin classes. He has shown no obvious signs of undue
stress so Dora does not think she is pressuring him.
Dora and her husband are both fluent English
speakers. They want the same for their son because
they believe it will help him succeed in life. However,
one of his tutors is concerned. The teacher tells
me that he seems to have little self-confidence and
low motivation in class. She thinks he is afraid
of making mistakes in front of the others.
Jane, although she says she understands the dilemma
faced by parents, is concerned that extra classes might
not always be for the childs own sake. My difficulty
is when all this learning is not for fun or enjoyment,
but rather to prove something: that a very young child
has achieved a certain level of competence validated by
an exam or certificate. This results in added pressure
on the child, a nagging parent, and stress all around.
Music, art, sports and languages cease to be fun. Then
I wonder, who is this really for? Is it for the child or for
the parent? Learning is happening all the time, at home,
in playgrounds, whether children are on their own, or
with others. It doesnt have to be in organized classes.
Youth Hong Kong
Parents speak
June 2014 |
11
I make him go for his own
sake, even though he is
reluctant.
Even socially conscious
parents may nd themselves
trying to push their child to
the head of the queue.
Paul, who is doing a part-time postgraduate degree and
looks after his two-year-old daughter while his wife
runs her own company from their home, agrees. The
current system places too much emphasis on assessment
rather than guiding individual development and
advancement, he says. We all have to take on a certain
amount of pressure in life. What is most important
is teaching young ones how to deal with pressure
positively, enabling them to learn basic social skills, how
to share and not become too self-absorbed or selfish.
Hong Kongs educational system doesnt provide a level
playing ground for all children. However, even socially
conscious parents, who believe in an equal chance for
everyone, may suddenly nd themselves trying to push
their child to the head of the queue, in order to get into a
well-known kindergarten or a prestigious primary school.
The system places too much emphasis on assessment
rather than individual development and advancement.
None of these parents argues against early learning for
their children. Frank, while seeing the fundamental
importance of play, has no doubts about the importance
of education. However, although he thinks it can be
a route to success, how that success is measured is
debatable. Success should not be just about beating your
peers or learning as much as you can as early as possible.
Success should be about getting to know what your real
interests are and where your talent may lie. Pressuring
children to learn through classes, tutorials and repetitive
homework will do nothing to make them successful
in the future. I also object to putting kids through
classes and competitions so that they have certificates,
awards and qualifications to put in a portfolio, but
to find a good primary school I now have to do it.
Fang-wei says. Even though my boy is still in K3, I
know the burden of helping him will follow me, not only
at primary school, but at secondary school too. When
the day comes, I will give him the choice of whether to
go to university. Even if he wants to teach swimming, it
would be OK. At least he could feed himself. But in the
end, what I want most for my son is a lifelong passion
for learning and exploration. Above all, I dont want him
to end up like me with a poor education and a bad job.
All parents want a secure future for their children. In
Hong Kongs extremely competitive environment,
today this often begins with pressure on early
learning. The issue is how to find the delicate
balance between offering children a variety of
learning and educational opportunities perhaps
ones that they never had themselves while still
ensuring that they grow up happy and healthy.
Note
Names of parents have been changed to preserve anonymity

Youth Hong Kong

Parents speak
| June 2014
12
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Youth Hong Kong
Parents speak
June 2014 |
13
Prof Lau, giving advice to other parents rather than
speaking as a scientist, says that the first thing to
remember is that all children are unique individuals
who need a personalized approach. Therefore, he says
there are no easy answers and no scientific benchmarks
to guide parents when it comes to appropriate
levels of pressure. Young children need time to
learn by exploring, and space for imagination and
creativity to develop. Childhood should be a happy
time, in my view, not a time filled with scheduled
activities and homework from dawn till dusk.
Excessive pressure is not good but that does not
mean that stress is necessarily a bad thing, if applied
appropriately. There need to be balance and boundaries.
There are positive and negative forms and levels of
stress. Every child responds differently, and each has
different levels of potential. They cannot be pushed
or pressured into achieving more than their potential.
The main thing is to avoid creating an environment
like a pressure cooker. But if your child is evidently
enjoying their classes and activities, why not carry on.
Parents need to be sensitive, he continues, especially
in a society like Hong Kong where there is such
a high level of pressure. All of society is stressed
and people communicate stress to one another.
The pressure they feel is often due to chasing after
materialistic goals and some parents are so driven
to achieve as high income-earners that they become
obsessive about their childrens success as a result
of peer pressure or [perceived] loss of face.
However, as Prof Lau says, while acknowledging his
own privileged circumstances, success should not be
measured in dollars and the most important things
in life cannot be counted. They are health, physical
and emotional well-being, friends and family. Parents
who offer children the gift of time, and not just ten
or fifteen minutes, will learn how to understand
them. Children aged five cannot verbalize thoughts
well and so clear communication with parents may
not always be easy, he noted. They do not understand
the outside world, or life and death, and may only
just be starting to understand the needs of others.
Let them fly
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rofessor Yu-lung Lau, a paediatrician at the University of Hong Kong and a father of
three children, all now in their 20s, talks of his perceptions of pressured childhood.
He emphasizes that parents will learn what is best for their child only by spending
enough time with them.
Professor Yu-lung
Lau is Chair Professor of
Paediatrics and the Doris
Zimmern Professor in
Community Child Health
at the Department of
Paediatrics and Adolescent
Medicine at The University
of Hong Kong.

Youth Hong Kong

Parents speak
| June 2014
14
If children are central in the family, parents cultivate
them, understanding them like fragile flowers, by caring
and responding to their needs with genuine concern
so that they can blossom, instead of becoming anxious
about winning the next contest or excelling in exams.
What is needed for that is time, time and more time.
At the other extreme, where there is misunderstanding
and too much pressure, it can result in physiological
and psychological symptoms such as nightmares,
bed-wetting, eating problems, temper tantrums
and school phobia. These are the danger signals,
says Prof Lau. When they get a bit older there
is the danger that they may become depressed
and in the most severe cases, suicidal.
Knowing the optimal level of pressure to exert in order
to help children make the best of themselves is a skill
that must be learned. Being a good parent is not easy.
There is no end to lessons if you want to understand
your children. To enjoy them, and respect them as people
very different from yourself, you have to take a step back
first. Then you will see them in a more holistic light.
Professor Lau concluded with an anecdote from his own
experience as a father. Perhaps they would disagree
with me, but when my children were young, I used to
think of them as kites, flying in the sky, with myself as
the holder of the reel. The long thin thread on the reel
was attached to them, barely perceptible most of the
time, but always there so that I could give a tug on it
from time to time. Otherwise, as long as the wind is
blowing from the right direction, I let them fly.
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Unhurried play
a basic right
I
n a city where time for spontaneous play has dwindled greatly and there is extreme
pressure on space, Kathy Wong believes it is vital to help parents understand how
important free play is for children. She works through the NGO Playright to raise awareness,
and with relevant government agencies to improve the situation.
Youth Hong Kong
Perspective
June 2014 |
15
Free, spontaneous, unorganized play is essential to
the health and well-being of children. It promotes,
among other things, the development of creativity,
imagination, and self-confidence, all of which
contribute to learning. Play also has a significant role
in the development of the brain, particularly in the
early years, and those who are chronically deprived of it
will not only have smaller than average brains, but also
suffer from social dysfunction, Ms Wong reminds us.
How can play be defined? we ask. The official
definition* says that childrens play is any behaviour,
activity or process initiated, controlled and structured
by children themselves. It takes place whenever and
wherever opportunities arise and its key characteristics are
fun, uncertainty, challenge, flexibility, non-productivity
and a certain element of risk. Most importantly, Ms
Wong says, the agenda is set by children, not by adults.
Youth Hong Kong
Perspective
| June 2014
16
The importance of play for all children, of all ages, is
proclaimed in the 1959 Declaration of the Rights of
the Child and the 1989 Convention on the Rights
of the Child. (See Further reading opposite page.)
However, Ms Wong is concerned that childrens rights
in this respect have been given poor recognition. This
has resulted, in cities such as Hong Kong, in a lack of
appropriate investment.
Where investment has
been made, it is in the
provision of structured
and organized activities,
not in terms of providing
homes and public facilities
of adequate size and type for play. Therefore, part of
the work of Playright consists of advocacy with many
government departments and agencies, including the
Education Bureau and the Social Welfare Department.
I am not blaming parents for depriving children of
play, Ms Wong says. They cant help wanting their
children to achieve, and that goes for parents at every
socio-economic level. Indeed, it is harder for those on
low incomes to insist on free play for children because
they see a greater need for stressing the importance of
spending time learning in a structured environment.
The more they care about the childs future, the
more they take away the opportunities for play.
Society has become increasingly risk-averse and
overprotective. There is not only pressured childhood,
but pressured parenthood. Parents think taking risks
is bad for the children, that it is their responsibility to
protect children from risk, even though risk is part of
growing up. There is fear of neighbours, of sunshine, of
water, of falling over and grazing a knee, says Ms Wong,
and the media amplify these
fears so that they become
a psychological reality.
In fact, the more serious risks
are those to health, caused
by pressure to achieve and
consequent lack of free time. She points out that the age
of attempted suicide is getting younger and younger.
For example, there was a recent Hong Kong case of
suicidal behavior in a child of kindergarten age, severely
stressed by interviews for admission for kindergartens.
The more parents care
about the childs future, the
more they take away the
opportunities for play.
All photographs in this article are courtesy of the Playright Children's Play Association
Playright, an NGO established in Hong Kong in
1987, promotes awareness of the importance of
play through a fourfold approach - Advocacy, Play
Resources, Play Outreach and Play Environments.
Ms Kathy Wong, Executive Director of Playright
since 1996, is a registered social worker and a board
member of the International Play Association.
Further reading on early childhood learning, stress and play
Bray, M and Kwo, O. Regulating Private Tutoring for Public Good. CERC Monograph Series, no 10. Hong
Kong: Comparative Education Research Centre, Faculty of Education, The University of Hong Kong,
in collaboration with UNESCO Asia and Pacific regional Bureau for Education, 2014.
Center on the Developing Child. Harvard University. http://developingchild.harvard.edu/index.php/key_concepts/toxic_stress_response/
Chan, LKS & Chan, L. Early childhood education in Hong Kong and its challenges.Early Child Development and Care, 173(1), 7-17, 2003.
McEwen, BS. Effects of Stress on the Developing Brain. The Dana Foundation. https://dana.org/news/features/detail_rop.aspx?id=33204
Morgan, H. Early childhood education: history, theory and practice. 2
nd
ed. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2011.
Opper, S. Hong Kongs young children: Their preschools and families. Hong Kong University Press, 1992.
Opper, S. Hong Kongs young children: Their early development and learning. Hong Kong University Press, 1996.
Play deprivation. Play Education, 2003. http://issuu.com/playwales/docs/play_deprivation?e=5305098/5309703
Shonkoff, JP & Phillips, DA (eds). From Neurons to Neighborhoods: The Science of early childhood development. Committee
on Integrating the Science of Early Childhood. Development. Washington, DC: National Academies Press, 2000.
United Nations. Convention on the Rights of the Child, 1989, Article 31
Early childhood from one to five years old is a critical period. Children of this age are constantly developing, physically
and emotionally. Stress can be beneficial, helping them to develop skills in order to adapt to new situations and
deal with danger, but prolonged stress becomes harmful and can lead to serious health problems. When the body
undergoes stress, the hormone cortisol is released. It gives a quick burst of energy, heightened memory, lower
sensitivity to pain and heightened memory. However, when cortisol is present in the body at high levels for extended
periods of time, the bodys immune response may be suppressed, leaving it vulnerable to damage and illness.
Causes of stress include being over scheduled and feeling pressured to perform; parents' own stress levels
Symptoms include heightened fear and anxiety, loss of interest, depression, anxiety, low self-confidence
Effects may include reduced cognitive functioning, poor retrieval from memory, lower
attention-span, emotional problems, lack of energy and motivation to learn
Sources
Center on the Developing Child. Harvard University. http://developingchild.harvard.edu/index.php/key_concepts/toxic_stress_response/
McEwen, BS. Effects of Stress on the Developing Brain. The Dana Foundation. https://dana.org/news/features/detail_rop.aspx?id=33204.
Early childhood stress

Youth Hong Kong

Perspective
June 2014 |
17
The upside of media coverage of extreme cases like this
is growing awareness of the need to slow down, the need
not to hurry childhood or the process of growing up, the
need to make time for playing. If you ask me how much
time is enough for play, I could say an hour a day, seven
hours a week, Ms Wong says, laughing, but the main
thing is to remember that you can afford to lose a year
of study. You can always catch up. But if you lose a year
of playful, happy childhood, you will never get it back.
* http://article31.ipaworld.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/IPA-Summary-of-UN-GC-article-31_FINAL1.pdf
Youth Hong Kong
Perspective
| June 2014
18
The HKFYG Youth Assessment and Development
Centre (YADC) holds talks, seminars and workshops for
parents and parent-child groups, with child psychiatrists
and psychologists, as well as celebrity parents who
recount their personal experience of parenting and
trying to bring up balanced young children.
Ability assessment tests using word and number cards,
building blocks, toy, cars etc, are given for two to six-
year-olds, on request. Those in need of help usually
join training groups run by YADC. Its staff advise on
children with developmental problems and those who
lack concentration, have poor social skills, reduced
fine motor control, poor sensory integration, or
find difficulty controlling their emotions. Training
is offered by occupational therapists and speech
therapists, social workers and childcare workers.
Developmental and interest classes are run as well,
including phonics, creative writing and oral practice
with a native English-speaking teacher. Visual arts,
music, liberal studies and physical exercise are offered
too. Classes are designed to strengthen social and
problem-solving skills plus fine motor coordination in
three to six year-olds. Younger children are welcome at
the baby playgroups, conducted in Chinese or English.
T
he Federations Youth Assessment and
Development Centre team provides services for
parents and children up to 18 years old. The aim of
its Smart Parents series earlier this year was to show how
to avoid putting age-inappropriate academic pressure on
children. More workshops coming soon.
Assessment, training and
interest classes
guidance for balance at
HKFYG centre
Parent-child training groups July 2014
At a four-part workshop series for parents, to be launched
this summer, a childcare worker will show how toys
and books enrich childrens cognitive development.
Advice on handling emotional control problems and
stubbornness about following rules will also be available.
Monday 14, Tuesday 15 & Thursday 17 July
Monday 21, Tuesday 22 & Thursday 24 July
Group A Nursery-K1 1.45-2.45pm
Group B K2-K3 2.45-3.45pm
Fee HK$1,680/ 6 sessions
Enroll Online at yadc.hkfyg.org.hk Tel 2130 4050
Youth Assessment & Development Centre
http://yadc.hkfyg.org.hk
Tel 2130 4050
Fax 2130 4060
Email yadc@hkfyg.org.hk
18

Opening hours
10am-6pm from Monday-Thursday
10am-8pm on Friday
10am-6pm on Saturday
Closed Sunday
Youth Hong Kong
Teachers speak
June 2014 |
19
Last year, a Hong Kong survey
1
found almost 72%
of Secondary 6 students had private tutoring. This
rate is comparable with South Korea and Taiwan
but is much higher than elsewhere in the world.
Students include those who are struggling and
those who are already doing well but whose parents
want to ensure they go on to a preferred school.
Large companies, make up more than half the local
tutorial market, but there are many smaller ones. The
I-Square Education Centre
2
is an example. Assistant
Business Development Manager, Claudia Chong,
explains its philosophy and goals: When I founded
I-Square it was because I longed to give Hong Kong
children a head start by providing them with an
experience that proved to them and their parents
that learning English can and should be a fulfilling
and painless experience. I am extremely proud of
the difference we have been able to make with our
students. We have gained the trust of parents in
our teaching philosophy and our teaching crew.
Much of the education that takes place in Hong Kongs
tutorial schools is geared towards examinations. Hong
Kong has also become famous for its star tutors, who
are popular with students because they teach useful
tricks for memorization. Professor Mark Bray of The
University of Hong Kong says tutoring has spread and
intensified in Asia and become more commercialised
[The star tutors] have found a way to appeal to
young people They create a buzz Students who
would not otherwise have had tutoring may now do
so in order not to be at a competitive disadvantage.
3
Managers of many Hong Kong tutorial schools
say they have to be results-oriented. When the
system doesn't deliver what parents expect, they
are willing to pay for tutors. This is why there will
always be money to be made in tutoring in Hong
Kong, said the founder of one tutorial school.
4

The implication is clear: choice is being offered.
However, there are intrinsic benefits in an emphasis
on exams, as the Learning Curve Index, published
in May this year, indicates. It analyzes information
about learning outcomes around the world. Finland
has slipped from first place. The top four are
South Korea, Japan, Singapore and Hong Kong.
For them, high-stakes testing has proved to be
effective because it mobilizes kids, parents and
schools, said one of the reports contributors.
5

T
opping up a childs education with classes at tutorial
schools is popular today. Recent research concludes
that while too much pressure is a bad thing, it is good
to foster a culture of learning early in life.
Top 10 Countries in The Learning Curve index 2104
1 South Korea 6 United Kingdom
2 Japan 7 Canada
3 Singapore 8 Netherlands
4 Hong Kong 9 Ireland
5 Finland 10 Poland
Source Economist Intelligence Unit, 2014.
http://thelearningcurve.pearson.com/index/index-ranking.
Includes data from the 2013 PISA (Program for International Student
Assessment), PIRLS ( Progress in International Reading Literacy Study),
TIMSS (Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study)
Sources
1. Bray, M. Benefits and tensions of shadow education. Journal of International and
Comparative Education. 2, (1) 2013. 18-30. http://crice.um.edu.my/downloads/bray.pdf
2. I-Square Education Centre Unit 503, 5/Fl., Cameron Commercial Centre,
458-468 Hennessy Road, Hong Kong. www.i-square.edu.hk
3. http://www.bbc.com/news/business-20085558
4. http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Asia-South-Central/2010/0302/
In-Hong-Kong-star-tutors-earn-1.5-million-salaries

I-Square Education
Centre

p I-Square Education Centre

Choice for parents
top marks for Asia
P
arents, anxious for success on the academic ladder, feel pressured to ensure
their children get into the best possible schools. Professionals in the
kindergarten sector tell us that this is partly because parents have too little
information, but they say special circumstances apply in Hong Kong.
Kindergarten admission
matching goals with
expectations
In general, parents cannot, or do not, obtain enough information.
As a result, they try to play safe by putting in as many
applications as possible. Even when they dont know what kind
of kindergarten they want, and dont know much about the
schools they apply for. As a result, too many applications are
made haphazardly and this results in extra work for everyone.
Parents should not apply to just one kindergarten, but they really
dont need to apply for 10-20, as some do. About five should be
enough and parents should visit them all to find out which of them
fit their expectations, instead of just listening to other peoples views.
However, I do think the government gives out too little information
and there is lack of communication and coordination between
the government departments concerned. Officials always say that
overall there are enough places for kindergarten-age students, but
they dont give statistics by district and it is pointless for a family
living in the North District to get a place in the South District.
Usually, there is not such strong competition for places in Hong
Kong kindergartens as there was last year. However, the news reports
which made headlines focused only on North District. They were
extreme cases and had a good news angle, but in other districts, it
was quite different. Nonetheless, the problem was exacerbated by
the policy of some schools. Long queues of parents formed because
the schools only distributed application forms for one or two days. If
forms were available on the web, parents would not worry so much.
Ms Dorothy Chan, Principal of the HKFYG Ching Lok Kindergarten (Yaumatei) and Ching
Lok Nursery (Yaumatei), commented on the shortage of official information available to parents
applying for kindergarten places. This was exacerbated last autumn by unusual problems.
Youth Hong Kong
Teachers speak
| June 2014
20
The needs of children at different stages,
the balance between learning-through-
activity and free play, and the age at which
the transition to more structured, academic
learning should take place, all need to be
clear in parents minds to reduce pressure.
Children start to learn at birth and it is
important that they learn in stages. I think
three years old is the time to start academic
learning. Even if parents request it, we should
not ask students to learn in advance of their
developmental stage. It is not good for them.
Many students find it very stressful when they
leave kindergarten to go to primary school, so
we prepare them emotionally, helping them
understand what it means to be in primary school.
We do not give them extra lessons on this. They
would just cause extra pressure. Instead, we
arrange our classrooms as primary schools do for
a while, so they get the feeling of a primary school
setting and build confidence for the transition.
I find that there are two extreme kinds of
parents. Either they are so humble that they
think they cannot help teach their children,
or they are too eager to help their child to
learn everything. They think they know best.
The trouble is, in Hong Kong, we always think
good academic results equal a bright future.
Too many interviews are not good for children.
They cause a lot of stress and all this interview
training usually means just asking children
to memorize information, like their names
and their parents jobs. We know it cannot
reflect the childs character and potential.
I definitely do not want to see portfolios for young
children! If a parent handed in a childs portfolio,
we wouldnt refuse it, but frankly, it would not
affect our choice. These portfolios only contain
paper. What I am concerned with is the child.
Our school holds group interviews with parents
and children. Several teachers watch three
or four of them playing together. We dont
need pre-prepared answers that have been
practised a thousand times over. What we need
is to see the childs character, ability and stage
of development. This is not possible if they
are stressed or on show. We are not only
looking for talented children. We are looking for
children who we think will fit into our school.
The parents themselves are important too, so
we really hope to find those who share our
concepts of education. They are the most
important role models for children and if, for
example, they are impolite or inconsiderate,
we know they will not be a good influence.
Youth Hong Kong
Teachers speak
June 2014 |
21
Photos courtesy of The HKFYG KK Cheng Kindergarten
When asked about early learning activities and
whether children are expected to have portfolios of
certificates from classes they attended before they
enroll, Mr Westerns answer is, definitely not.
Up to par
On the other hand, I think that Hong Kong
Cantonese parents worry that their child wont be
smart enough at interview to get into a good
pre-school which will lead onto a good primary
school and then a good secondary school. They
see getting into a good kindergarten as the critical
first step in their childs long educational journey,
so they seek learning activities outside the home
for very young children to bring them up to par.
Still, for playgroups and pre-schools, I think
looking at a childs portfolio would be a ridiculous
method for allocating spaces. Unfortunately for
many parents, the school your child attends
is a huge part of how they define themselves.
Their personal, and family, identity is tied into it.
Traditional and Montessori approaches are offered
by Woodland. In Montessori schools, children can
work alone or with others - it's their choice. There
are no pressures, forced homework or rote learning.
Options for breadth
At Woodland, we offer two different teaching
philosophies. However, the approaches tend to
overlap. When you examine them closely in terms
of what actually goes on in the classroom, in fact
they are very similar. Both approaches include
both child-directed and teacher-directed learning,
whether its learning how to share, how to paint,
or how to ask questions during Show & Tell.
Mr Mark Western, Head of the Woodland Pre-School in Pokfulam, says that the parents often send the
children to their playgroups to prevent boredom rather than because of pressure to learn. Where applying
for admission is concerned, the situation is also very different. Orientation tours are arranged on request
for families considering registering at Woodland schools which generally serve more affluent families.
Choice, but at a price
There is always strong competition for a place
at Woodland schools and we generally have
waiting lists. My advice is to apply early, contact
several schools and be flexible about morning
and afternoon class options. In fact a number of
new kindergartens have opened in the past year
or so, on Hong Kong Island, so there are plenty
of schools and plenty of places at the moment.
Expat parents seeking kindergartens dont have so
much stress when securing a place because many
more choices are available to them. The main reason
their children go to playgroups is that theyre bored.
The parents figure its better for them to interact and
play with other kids in a crowded playgroup than
to be stuck at home in a flat, alone with the nanny.
Strong competition but more choice
Youth Hong Kong
Teachers speak
| June 2014
22
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The youngest toddler classes, which we call Rollers
and Wrigglers, are for children aged six to 18
months. They progress to the playgroup classes at
one-and-a-half to two-and-a-half years old. At this
stage they start to learn about group participation,
such as singing songs, dancing, and playing group
games. There is nothing like learning characters for
two year-olds. At pre-school, for two-and-a-half to
four year-olds, there is learning about sounds and
phonics, letters, how to hold a pencil and so on.
In the older pre-school classes for three to five
year-olds there is a more balanced curriculum,
with both play and academic subjects, ensuring
that children have the fundamental skills ready
for Primary One, with a lot more emphasis on
phonics, emergent writing, pre-reading, speaking
fluency and confidence. With longer and longer
waiting lists in good primary schools, which are
being more and more selective in their interview
process, it is important that the children are
prepared. Year by year, the bar is being raised to
weed out candidates from long lists of applicants.
Ms Lau Yin-king, Deputy Chair of the Council of
Non-profit Making Organizations for Pre-primary
Education, commented on the situation:
The prevailing atmosphere in Hong Kong means that
parents want to push students to learn in advance of
the normal stages. They want children in kindergarten
to learn what they need for their primary education.
Then they want students to learn in primary school what
they need only for secondary education. It is not good
for the children. Kindergartens are being marketized
as a result and can provide what parents demand.
Although I think everyone would agree that
academic achievement is important, the
question is to what extent? If, in the pursuit
of academic excellence, a child never plays
a sport, or goes to summer camp, or travels
overseas, or pursues a personal hobby, then
I believe the focus has been too narrow.
Youth Hong Kong
Teachers speak
June 2014 |
23
With longer and longer waiting
lists in good primary schools,
which are being more and more
selective in their interview process,
it is important that the children
are prepared.

The Woodland Pre-school (Pokfulam)

Mr. Mark Western

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Youth Hong Kong
Education Post
| June 2014
24
T
hree specialists, Fritz Pang, an educational psychologist, Sarah Ip
Miu-yin, a clinical psychologist, and Ricky Chan, a specialist in brain
development comment on the negative efects that too much
pressured early learning can have.
Because so many parents in Hong Kong are worried
their children will lose out at the starting line, they are
willing to spend a small fortune and give up precious
family time lining up extra classes. Whether it is music,
art, languages or sports, parents seem convinced that
for youngsters today, the more lessons and formal
training, the better. The desire to equip sons and
daughters with the knowledge and skills to succeed
in life is entirely understandable. But psychologists
are now pointing out that intensive learning at too
young an age can do more harm than good.
Fritz Pang, a registered education psychologist
at St James Settlement
Fritz Pang says that life is a marathon, not a sprint. He
thinks parents are getting children to start rote learning
too early and are failing to acknowledge their emotional
needs. I had a case of a five year-old girl. She was
crying and saying she wants to leave home because she
is forced to do English exercises every week, says Pang.
The girls parents sought counselling because they
thought their daughter was rebellious, but it was
actually their force feeding and the extra lessons that
caused her to feel so stressed. Pang says parents should
focus more on teaching children the right attitude
towards life and the right way to handle adversity,
rather than bombarding them with knowledge.
Sarah Ip Miu-yin, clinical psychologist at the
private Fullife Psychological Practice
Sarah Ip points out that no scientific research proves that
taking children as young as 10 months to playgroups
and other classes is beneficial for their development.
Parents need to understand that there are various
stages in brain development. There is no point force-
feeding young kids when their brain development
has not yet reached the right stage, she says.
Ip notes a recent New York University publication on
how the use of flash cards, flip books and watching
videos affects the development of language learning
ability. The study included two groups of children aged
nine to 18 months. The experimental group was exposed
to flash cards and other materials. The control group had
none. Results revealed that the experimental group did
not show stronger language ability despite being given
different types of stimulation. The most interesting part
of the study was that parents of the experimental group
refused to accept the fact that their children had gained
nothing from the training, Ip says. Sometimes, parents
can be too subjective. They might want to consider
carefully what is really beneficial to their children.
Ip also says parents need to be more hands-on
when it comes to nurturing their own children.
I know of a parent trying to recruit a teacher
to teach the child how to be polite. This is the
responsibility of a parent, not a tutor.
Quality time,
not force-feeding
a contribution from Education Post
Youth Hong Kong
Education Post
June 2014 |
25
Ricky Chan, chairman of the Association of
Brain-based Learning in Education and a
specialist in brain development
Ricky Chans advice to parents is to understand how
the brain works before enrolling their youngsters in
many kinds of classes. Until the age of five, children
are developing their five senses. If parents sit them
down to read and study note cards or a tablet computer,
it will stunt the development of their senses, Chan
says. Kids that young are better off running around
in the natural environment, experiencing different
forms of stimulation. Unfortunately, more parents
are now keeping their kids indoors to read.
Going to playgroups is a popular activity for young
children, but Chan warns this might not help overall
development. Young children up to three years-
old are rapidly developing the ability to express
emotions like shame, regret and respect, but they
might use facial expressions or other actions to
express themselves. In a playgroup, it is common
to see children express their emotions by crying,
shouting and screaming. One child might pick up
this undesirable behaviour from other children.
Chan also notes that keeping kids on a tight
schedule and rushing them from class to class can
affect a childs physical and mental condition. It
can raise adrenaline levels and cause the child to
In the first three years of life, a childs brain has up to
twice as many synapses as it will have in adulthood. At
birth, it already has about all of the neurons it will ever
have. The brain doubles in size in the first year, and by
age three it has reached 80 percent of its adult volume.
Synapses are formed at a faster rate during these years
than at any other. It is widely accepted that synapses
play an important role in the formation of memory.

Young brains
be bad-tempered, which can later result in poor
health and the inability to control emotions.
Every parent loves their children more than
anything in the world and is eager to see them
do well, but the experts agree that spending more
quality time with them, not arranging more
classes, is much the better approach.
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p Network of dendrites from neurons
www.educationpost.com.hk
Source
http://www.urbanchildinstitute.org/why-0-3/baby-and-brain
Youth Hong Kong
Youth speak
| June 2014
26
Too much pressure
by Amanda Xiang
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I was two-and-a-half when my mother first enrolled
me in a drama playgroup. Her aim was to provide me
with an English-speaking environment, and to give me
international exposure for language proficiency. Extra-
curricular activities such as this continued until a couple
of years ago. They ranged from academic subjects like
Olympiad Mathematics, to French, to casual interests
like piano or table tennis. When I was in Primary 5
or 6 they amounted to over 9 hours every Saturday,
and for Hong Kong, that is by no means extreme.
According to research quoted by the South China
Morning Post
1
, there are tutors who give English
conversation practice to children as young as 15
months old, and its not unusual for primary school
pupils to have 12 to 15 tutorials every week. Dont
children ever get to spend their time resting, playing
or doing things they enjoy? Does early learning
merely add pressure and deprive them of playtime?
The main reason children go to these classes is that
their parents worry about their ability to get into a
good school. As a result, the pressure to build a good
resume starts long before the teenage years. Even
selection for private pre-school programmes can be very
competitive, and some parents consider packaging
their preschoolers to meet schools requirements.
The other reason for the increasing pressure for
learning from a young age is that parents have had
to learn how to become increasingly efficient in
balancing their work-home schedules. They want to
make the most of limited time with their children
and believe that giving them every opportunity
to gain the maximum amount of knowledge will
mean they are making the best use of that time.
Compare that with Finland, a country reputed for
its good education system. Children there are not
Youth Hong Kong
Youth speak
June 2014 |
27
Ivan, now 19 and doing a vocational degree,
writes about his happy childhood.
I always wanted to play basketball more than anything
and wanted coaching after school. There was no chance.
Piano lessons? Sure. Extra English? Obligatory. Sport?
Never. A waste of time and money they always said.
I went to a very old-fashioned kindergarten where
we started rote learning of Chinese characters
when I was three. At primary school, mum and
dad saw my English was no good so they spent
HK$1,500 a month on extra lessons. My spelling
got better but the teacher was a Hongkonger and
my spoken English stayed just as bad as ever.
They all thought I was a naughty boy, always
neglecting my studies, slow to do my homework.
My dad used to sit over me, making me go through
the maths exercises before hed let me go out to
play. But I think it was hard work for him too. At least
I didnt have to go to all those tutorial schools.
Actually, it must have been very hard for them to pay
for extra lessons. Money was always tight. So most
nights after dinner I went to play with my mates,
down on the podium at our estate in Tseung Kwan O.
Sometimes basketball, sometimes just running round,
making up games, having fun. We were happy.
I know they always had high expectations of me but
Im glad they werent those monster parents you
hear people talking about today. Perhaps they were
anxious but they never made me learn too hard.
Not made to learn
encouraged to start reading until the age of seven and
the country has some of the best young readers in
the world. Yet those Finnish children generally have
around five hours of free time every day after school.
Logically, this means that playing and relaxing are
beneficial for children. Playing allows them to develop
imagination, dexterity, and both physical and emotional
strength. The brain develops faster as a result. Playing
also helps to build confidence, problem-solving skills
and the resilience needed to face future challenges.
2
The Finnish education system suggests that by allowing
leisure to play freely after completing school work,
children can move at their own pace, discover their own
areas of interest, and ultimately find out where their
real talents lie. In contrast to passive entertainment, free
play builds active, healthy bodies. Above all, a Finnish
education enshrines the place of play as a simple joy
that is a cherished part of childhood, a joy of which
young children in Hong Kong are generally deprived.
It would be wrong to assume that the current trend
of increasingly early learning creates problems for
all children. Society needs skilled young people
who are well prepared as leaders for the future. For
them, the advantages of increased exposure and an
enriched academic life cannot be ignored. They
thrive as a result of a highly driven schedule, but
others excel when given a high degree of flexibility.
Undoubtedly, even children who can benefit from an
increased pace of early learning still need some free
time for play, for creative growth and self-reflection.
Nevertheless, time to play has been markedly reduced
for many young children from an early age and the
benefits that can be derived from such play by both
children and parents have been lost. For some children,
this hurried lifestyle is a source of stress and anxiety.
It may even contribute to depression. The challenge
for society, schools, and parents is to strike the right
balance: a balance that allows all children to reach
their greatest potential, while allowing them free
playtime to enjoy while they are still young.
Amanda Xiang
17, Secondary 5, St Pauls Convent School.
Majoring in piano at the Hong Kong
Academy for Performing Arts.
Sources
1. http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1414388/hong-kong-parents-requesting-tutors-their-toddlers-says-author?page=all
2. http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/119/1/182.full
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Youth Hong Kong
Youth watch
| June 2014
28
Early childhood care and
education around the world
by Virginia Addison
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Mainland China
According to UNICEF, access to pre-schools or
kindergartens staffed by qualified teachers is uneven in
mainland China. In particular, girls, ethnic minority
children, children with disabilities and children
affected by migration lack pre-school or kindergarten
opportunities.
1
State kindergartens take children
from three years old. Private facilities do not have an
age limit.
2
An independent early childhood care and
education study says that China has been looking at
seeking a balance between adopting western ideas and
maintaining Chinese traditions in early childhood
education.
3
However, it found that free play accounted
for only 17% of time in kindergartens and was
considered eduplay in facilities caring for younger
children. In 2012, a state television report said many
kindergartens were introducing academic subjects
and parents worried that their children would not get
into good primary schools if they did not keep up.
4
In
2014, the Ministry of Education reiterated its plans
to provide more early education resources as the new
second-child policy in some provinces and cities could
result in added pressure on educational facilities. By the
end of 2013, there were 198,600 pre-school facilities
across the country serving 38.95 million children.
5
p Village school
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Singapore
Centres in Singapore that cater for children as young as
18 months say they are always busy. Some of the popular
programmes among parents are Mandarin and reading
classes. Many parents think that if they do not send their
children for extra lessons they will not keep up with their
peer group. They also think it will help their children
adjust to primary school.
6
In August 2012, Singapores
Prime Minister, Lee Hsien Loong,
7
pleaded with the
countrys tiger mothers to let their children have a
childhood, saying: Its good for young children to play,
and to learn through play. The Ministry of Education
says the focus of pre-school education should be a well-
rounded education that builds a child's confidence
and desire to learn.
8
According to a National
University of Singapore report, one of the major issues
with this system is that the children from age four
are drilled, tested, and take home daily homework.
They do not spend time in school doing creative
activities. The report says that such early training leads
to a young workforce that is lacking in innovation.
9
p A Singapore public library
Youth Hong Kong
Youth watch
June 2014 |
29
Japan
In Japan, much early childhood education is conducted
at home.
15
Mothers also take on an intense burden as it
is widely believed that parental effort at this stage is what
determines success. Many parents also enroll infants and
toddlers in pre-schools before they go to kindergarten.
Reforms to the Japanese education system in 1997
introduced new guidelines for early childhood education,
which aim to spur childrens creativity and zest for
learning, among other goals.
16
Teacher-pupil ratios in
kindergartens are high and classes average between
30 and 35 children, to encourage children to play, be
part of a larger community, and find the transition
to primary education easier. Although kindergartens
exhibit great variety, most target age-appropriate
personal development, such as learning empathy, rather
than academic programmes.
17
However, some children
are groomed from the age of three to pass the entrance
examination for private primary schools. In Tokyo there
are 50 such schools compared with 1,300 public schools.
The admission process can be highly competitive and
tuition is expensive.
18
Estimates suggest 8% of five-
year-old children in Tokyo take part in the process.
C
hildren spend more time in class in most developed Asian countries
than they do in developed western countries. They also often score
higher on standardised international tests. But how much pressure do
they experience, and what are the reasons for it?
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South Korea
According to the Korea Institute of Child Care and
Education, 76.4% of all South Korean households with
infants and pre-schoolers opt to spend money on private
education.
10
South Korea planned to extend their early-
education provision for all three and four-year-olds last
year. Most middle-class parents send their children to
private kindergartens from the age of three
11
although
these are not part of the formal education system.
12

Here they learn to read, write, do simple arithmetic and
in some cases, get an introduction to English, as well as
playing. Classes are conducted in a traditional classroom
setting, and children are given considerable amounts of
homework. They may also attend specialized afternoon
schools, taking lessons in art, piano or violin, taekwondo,
ballet, soccer or mathematics. In 2012 the government
increased childcare benefits for those with kindergarten
children between the ages of three and five.
13
Children
start primary school when they are five to six years old.
14
p Korean mother and son
p Japanese childcare
Youth Hong Kong
Youth watch
| June 2014
30
Scandinavia
In Finland, most children do not enter child care
until they are three. Mothers get financial support
if they choose to stay at home for that period. Pre-
school programmes are play-based and have good
child-teacher ratios. Children enter formal education
at the age of seven. Nevertheless, Finnish high school
students consistently rank at or near the top in the
Programme for International Student Assessment
(PISA).
19
In Sweden, nursery school is open to children
from one to five years of age and the state must provide
such facilities for children whose parents work or
study. More than 80% of children from one to five
years of age spend part of their weekdays at nursery
schools, which emphasize the importance of play in
a childs development and learning. Primary school
starts at seven, with an option to attend at the age of
six.
20
In Denmark children start full-time schooling
at six.
21
Prior to that, the majority attend public
and private childcare centres and kindergartens. A
national curriculum s became effective in 2004 and
has been implemented into a play-based tradition.
United Kingdom
Britains Office for Standards in Education, Childrens
Services and Skills believes children should be allowed
to attend school from as young as two in order to
establish a new type of all-through educational
model which would help to close the gap between
affluent and disadvantaged students.
22
However, the
governments Education Committee is concerned
that parents are being pressurized into enrolling their
children in education early.
23
Pre-school education
can be provided by childcare centres, playgroups,
nursery schools and nursery classes within primary
schools. There are subsidies for children aged over
three for 15 hours a week. Private voluntary or
independent nursery education is also available and
varies between structured pre-school education and
basic childcare, with many taking babies.
24
Pre-
schools follow government approved learning goals.
The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and
Development (OECD) found that 15-year-olds who had
attended pre-schools for more than a year performed
better, regardless of socio-economic background, than
those who had attended for one year only or not at all. In
Belgium, France, Iceland, Italy, Norway, Spain and Sweden,
more than 90% of 3-year-olds are enrolled in early childhood
education. However, establishing the precise link between
time in pre-school and later achievement is difficult, as is
defining the term. See box opposite. National attitudes to
the right way to spend early childhood years differ. Too much
pressure too early may set children up for failure later and
the quality of pre-school education is a crucial variable.
OECD published statistics for early childhood
education can be found in the OECD Indicators:
Education at a Glance, available at:
http://www.oecd.org/edu/eag2013%20(eng)-
-FINAL%2020%20June%202013.pdf
World pre-school statistics
In Australia pre-school is for children about to start
primary school. Their first year is called kindergarten.
In England children aged up to three go to nursery schools
or childcare centres. Pre-school starts when they are four.
In South Korea, Japan and Singapore
kindergartens cater for three to five year-olds,
and younger children go to pre-schools.
China uses kindergarten as a term for public centres
catering for children from the age of three.
In Sweden, Denmark and Finland children attend
childcare centres or nursery schools until they
start primary school at the age of six or seven.
In the US, terminology is similar to that used in Australia.
Pre-k and early child education are other terms used.
The OECD definition of early childhood education,
or pre-primary education, is organized instruction
designed primarily to introduce very young
children to a school-like environment.
Terminology for pre-school
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Youth Hong Kong
Youth watch
June 2014 |
31
About 25% of all births in Hong Kong between 2002 and 2012 [more than 200,000 babies] were to parents who were both
from mainland China. However, children born in Hong Kong have the right of abode and education here. A subsequent surge
of pressure on kindergartens took place near the border. In response, mainland mothers have not been permitted to come to
Hong Kong to have children since last year and more recent changes in government policy will also spread the load on schools.
Nevertheless, the North District Primary School Heads Association expects a 20% rise in applications to its schools this year.*
*South China Morning Post 8 June 2014
Cross-border pressure in Hong Kong
1. http://www.unicef.cn/en/index.php?m=content&c=index&a=lists&catid=126
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preschool
3. Rao, Nirmala & Sun, Jin. Early childhood care and education in the
Asia Pacific Region, Comparative Research Centre, HKU, 2010.
4. http://english.cntv.cn/program/china24/20120319/107163.shtml
5. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2014-02/27/content_17309083.htm
6. http://www.straitstimes.com/the-big-story/national-day-rally-2012/
story/without-extra-lessons-our-kids-may-lose-out-20120828
7. http://www.economist.com/node/21563354
8. http://www.moe.gov.sg/education/preschool/
9. http://www.fas.nus.edu.sg/ecs/pub/wp-scape/0808.pdf
10. http://www.asianewsnet.net/Korean-parents-push-
their-kids-to-start-learning-e-55959.html
11. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kindergarten#South_Korea
12. http://www.asianinfo.org/asianinfo/korea/education.htm
13. http://internationalednews.com/tag/early-childhood-education/
14. http://southkorea.angloinfo.com/family/schooling-education/pre-primary-education/
15. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/kindergarten
Sources
16. http://www.todayonline.com/daily-focus/education/
japans-pre-schools-children-must-play
17. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preschool#Japan
18. http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2014/02/16/issues/
prepping-for-university-straight-from-the-crib/
19. http://www.newamerica.net/blog/early-ed-watch/2008/
how-finland-educates-youngest-children-9029
20. http://sweden.se/society/education-in-sweden/#start
21. http://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-
9780199756810/obo-9780199756810-0093.xml
22. http://internationalednews.com/tag/early-childhood-education/
23. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/talking_point/1111663.stm
24. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preschool
25. http://www.aeufederal.org.au/Publications/Factsheets/FS4.pdf
26. http://www.preschoolsnsw.org.au/faqs
27. http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/4240.0
28. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preschool
29. Martin, A. in Morgan, H. Early Childhood Education. Lanham, Maryland, 2
nd
ed, 2011.
30. http://www.shankerinstitute.org/images/Dec-11-crisis_in_early_ed.pdf
Australia
Pre-school programmes in Australia are not compulsory.
The first exposure many Australian children have
to learning with others is day care or a parent-
run playgroup. The government has established
a nationwide curriculum to support and enhance
learning from birth to five years of age, as well as
the transition to school. Pre-school is designed to
prepare children for the first year of primary school
at the age of five.
25
There is a strong emphasis on
play-based learning, but also on communication and
language, including early literacy and numeracy and
social and emotional development.
26
In all states and
territories, children aged four can be enrolled in a
subsidized pre-school programme for 15 hours or
more a week.
27
Children younger than four mostly
attend state-run or private childcare centres, which
focus on play rather than formal learning, although
some private ones do offer language and other skills.
United States
In the United States, pre-schools are available for
children from aged three to five. The first year of primary
school is known as kindergarten. Most programmes are
not subsidized and the government introduced the Early
Head Start programme to increase the school readiness
of young children in low income families.
28
Although
research has shown that giving children early education
that is not play-based is considered to have a bad effect,
almost every state has adopted common core standards
that call for kindergartners to master more than 90
skills related to literacy and maths. One educator
said, Kindergarten used to mean brightly coloured
paintings, music, clay, block building, bursting curiosity,
and intensive exploration. Now the kindergartens
exuberance is being muted. kindergarten is becoming
an adjunct to first grade.
29
Educators and physicians
report increasing incidents of extreme and aggressive
behaviour in pre-schools and kindergartens and link
these to the stress children experience in school.
30

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here is a frm belief in Hong Kong that the three basic requirements for playing sports
are good physique, plenty of money, and time to spare. Can rugby, which arrived here
in the 1950s, change the public mindset when one of the biggest obstacles facing
youngsters considering taking up the sport is their other commitments in life?
Many people talk about rugby - increasingly popular
because of the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens - but few
participate. Why? First, many parents believe it is an
aggressive game, full of violent, foul or dangerous play.
Also, many people label rugby players and their fans as
bad boys, troublemakers and drunks. Naturally, they are
not happy about sending their children for training.
A gentleman's game?
According to Anthony Hopewell, coach of the Hong
Kong Scottish Nomads and Flying Kukris, this is
only part of the answer. There is a joke about the
difference between football and rugby: football is a
gentleman's game played by hooligans, and rugby
is a hooligans game played by gentlemen.
Although rugby is very physical, it isnt full of dirty
play. Good players know the rules as well as building
good physique, but Asians tend to be less bulky than
westerners, and many parents worry about their kids
getting injured. As a result, talented players might be lost.
Even if parents let their children start playing rugby,
it doesnt mean that they will continue for long.
Youngsters lives today are full of commitments.
Education is their parents priority and most youth
face pressure to succeed academically. As a result, their
spare time may be filled with after-school tuition. The
importance of health and sport is forgotten and the
children lose motivation. Hopewell agreed, aiming
only for good academic results can destroy everything.
Give
rugby

a try

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Youth Hong Kong
32
Food, culture & sport
| June 2014
by Sam Ip
Inspiration, motivation and the media
I got my inspiration from my coach, said Dave
Whiteford, a former Scotland under-21 team member
who now represents Hong Kong. He is also the
general manager of the Hong Kong Scottish Rugby
Football Club. Even when I was five years old,
we could watch rugby on many TV channels.
Thats not true of Hong Kong, where you can rarely
watch rugby except during the Sevens. This means
people dont get inspired by players like Yiu Kam-
shing, who represented Hong Kong for five years and
is a local rugby legend. He trained hard and became a
member of the Hong Kong team in two years. Large-
scale clubs like the Hong Kong Scottish are working
hard to involve youngsters in rugby but more of them
could be inspired if people such as Yiu Kam-shing had
the media exposure of footballers, said Whiteford.
I had been playing rugby for two years when I had to
put it aside to do the public exams. When I tried to pick
it up again, I was disappointed. I could only get onto the
pitch at the end of the match. It was frustrating, sitting
on the bench and just watching. But the game had also
taught me good self-discipline and teamwork. When I
got into my school team at Shue Yan University I realized
just how passionate I was about playing. My dream had
come true, but Im still trying to perfect my technique.
Give it a chance
It is understandable why parents have their concerns
about rugby, but it can be very beneficial for
youngsters. It is a sport for everyone. You dont have
to be super-muscular or have a certain body shape
to join in. Someone you meet when doing business
may turn out to be in the same team with you. To
find out what rugby has to offer, all you need to
do is talk to a rugby player. You may find that it
is as exciting as football, maybe even better.
The Hong Kong Rugby Football Union (HKRFU) is the
governing body of Hong Kong Rugby, offering competitive
and social rugby for all age groups. The HKRFUs School
Sports Programme (SSP) is organized by the National
Sports Associations and subvented by the Leisure and
Cultural Services Department. HKRFU community initiatives
include REAL (Rugby English Action Learning), Don't Drop
the Ball and Operation Breakthrough. The Hong Kong
Mini Rugby Football Union (HKMRFU) was established in
the 1980s. From the age of 4, girls and boys can join one
of its mini rugby clubs where they will be introduced to
the sport in a safe, fun and structured environment.
More information visit
http://www.hkrugby.com/eng/junior/index.php
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33
Youth Hong Kong
Food, culture & sport
June 2014 |
Sam Ip
Year 1
Hong Kong Shue Yan University
Food fads
and fashions
W
hy does one shop have a huge line outside, when the one next door
has no patrons at all? It is all to do with Hong Kongs obsessions
according to these two young writers. Both agree about the efects of
social media on trends, but dieting also still has impact.
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Youth Hong Kong
Food, culture & sport
| June 2014
34
The changing face of food
It is often said that there is a universal language of
food, but like many languages it changes every day
as new tastes push out the old. Whats trendy this
week might be a turn-off next week, especially in
an international metropolis like Hong Kong. Our
city is blessed with cuisines from all around the
globe and, when it comes to food, there is nothing
Hongkongers like more than something new.
As each new food fad or fashion hits our streets we
cannot wait to give it a try. Hong Kong people are
trend seekers. Living in a city that has a fast turnover
rate of products and a diverse range of imports, they are
constantly assailed with new, refreshing taste sensations.
Pair that up with a desire to search for the latest thing,
and youve got a continuously developing market.
One recent example is how a simple western teatime
treat became a must have for many youngsters:
the cupcake boom. The Twelve Cupcakes chain
opened about six months ago, but already has five
outlets in different parts of Hong Kong. It seems
people cant get enough of these cute little cakes.
A factor that has a significant effect on food fads
and fashion is the ever-growing influence of social
networking sites, such as Instagram, Twitter and
facebook. It has become a popular craze all over town
to snap your dinner and then post it online. Add the
push of peer pressure and it is no wonder food fads
take off the way they do. With friends always talking
about a particular food, and the internet filling your
head with mouth-watering images, it is inevitable you
will want to try it. Soon a little taste turns into a lot
and, before you know it, you are recommending the
dish to another friend. We are part of an internet-
obsessed generation and it is easy to see how this can
bring about rapid changes in eating habits and trends.
But there is only so much persuasion that can take place
when we are talking about food. Lets not forget, we eat
with our eyes before we eat with our mouths. Although
people think youngsters can be easily manipulated into
liking a certain type of food, it is not always the case.
For example, a few years ago squid ink ramen was the
citys hottest food fad. The dish was bold and different,
but I could not see the point. The ramen tasted the
same as regular noodles and although I tried a little,
I simply could not force those black-stained noodles
down my throat. Possibly it was psychological, but
the colour was just too much for me to handle.
What I am trying to say is that even trend seekers
have their limits, and personal opinion is probably
another factor that steers food fads and fashions.
After all, Hong Kong is a diverse community
where individualism is highly valued, so we should
not be surprised if food fads and fashions evolved
with time. Certainly, peoples tastes do!
by Mindy Li
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Youth Hong Kong
Food, culture & sport
June 2014 |
35
Mindy Li, Evo lve
Secondary 6,
St Stephen's College
From one big thing to another
In the bustling metropolis of Hong Kong, everything
but space seems to be in abundance. Food, of course,
is no exception. As an international hub, Hong Kong
offers cuisines that stretch far beyond its modest
borders, and its culinary experience is one that promises
to tantalize even the most pernickety of palates. It is
no surprise that within this Mecca of food, Hong
Kong's culture is obsessed with edible delights.
Hong Kong's young people swarm from one big thing in
food to the next. From all-you-can-eat Japanese hot pot
deals to exquisitely presented macaroons. What drives
them? As youths in the 21
st
century, it is indisputable
that our biggest influences are not the traditional
media, as one might imagine, but social media.
For this tech-savvy generation with the internet
never out of our lazy reach, it is all too easy to
comment on a friends trip to a fancy restaurant
on facebook, follow yet another food travel blog
or like a couples dessert date on Instagram. This
has spawned an entire food photography culture in
Hong Kong, where the archetypal Hongkongers first
instinct when acquiring a delectable treat is to whip
out his or her phone and find the perfect angle.
Nevertheless, despite the phenomenon of almost
cult-like food followers, the desire to be ever
thinner, inspired by unrealistic perceptions imposed
by the media, is almost as prevalent. These two
factors influence todays youths food choices.
It isnt hard to believe that the abundance of wafer-
thin young people that walk the streets of Hong Kong
could create pressure to become part of an abnormal
norm. Some years ago, it may have taken some
ingenuity to formulate a healthy (or not so healthy)
diet in an attempt to fit into a smaller dress size, but
today, a food fad suggestion is merely a Google search
of how to lose weight fast away. Much like food
fashions, fads, too, are shaped by the wealth of material
on the internet. Many of these fads, however, rarely
produce long-lasting results, and often promote foods
with unproven health gains, sometimes even creating
detrimental side-effects such as fatigue and depression.
So what spurs our desire to chase food fashions and
fads? The drive of human nature to belong, within the
mishmash of personalities we call our community spurs
our motivation. I admit to being an adventurous food-
seeker myself and do venture from my home turf in
the New Territories all the way to Hong Kong Island
sometimes for the sake of just one cup of coffee. Of
course, I take a picture of my latte when I get there,
but I do spare my friends on facebook from it.
by Hilary Lok
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What exactly turns a
commonplace delicacy into a
coveted big thing?
Youth Hong Kong
Food, culture & sport
| June 2014
36
Hilary Lok, 17,
Sha Tin College
p Building a temporary island in Causeway Bay typhoon shelter
37
Youth Hong Kong
City space
June 2014 |
Communicating
and innovation
T
wo young awardees from the HKFYG Innovation and Technology
Scholarship Award Scheme write about on internships arranged by the
Scheme. It ofers outstanding students local and overseas attachments
and mentorship. Communication with stakeholders is the focus they both
have in common.
Infrastructure development is a hot issue that concerns
everyone. When it involves the local adaptation of
some of the most advanced technology in the world
it can be both highly controversial and fascinating.
Innovation in infrastructure development
For example, building tunnels for the Central-Wan
Chai Bypass involved a pioneer application. Artificial
islands were reclaimed inside the Causeway Bay
typhoon shelter. The method, which involves the
subsequent demolition of the islands, meets the
requirement of Protection of the Harbour Ordinance.
Sections of tunnel are bored into the islands and
later, the typhoon shelter for boats will be re-instated.
by Ng Tsz-man
Youth Hong Kong
38
City space
| June 2014
An increasingly important element in infrastructure
projects like this is public engagement. Unlike in
the past when professionals dominated the design of
every project, citizen participation is now encouraged.
This includes incorporating creativity into designs,
an important step when the infrastructure is to
become a part of everyday lives. For instance, the
Central-Wan Chai Bypass will incorporate a design
for a vent shaft which won an open competition.*
I feel lucky to be in Hong Kong where so many
engineers are striving to bring into play the most
advanced technology in the world, with a view
to building and strengthening infrastructure, the
backbone of our development. A comment from
my ITSAS mentor, Mr Wai Chi-sing, often comes
to mind. He said, innovation does not necessarily
mean a new invention. It is impossible for us to
invent everything, but we can be ingenious. In Hong
Kong, a small, unique place with so many wonders,
it is often far more feasible and efficient to innovate
in engineering projects by learning from others.
Another example of advanced technology that I saw
in action was a ground freezing technique used in
the MTRs West Island Line. Tunnel boring was
aided by nitrogen freezing with brine and a state-of-
the-art computerized magnetic guiding system. The
technology sounds fantastic but actually it is crucial
to ensure the stability of the surrounding buildings.
Todays engineers have shifted their focus to
balancing the interests of all stakeholders rather
than simply completing a project on schedule and
within budget. The building of the Hong Kong-
Zhuhai-Macao Bridge is a case in point. Situated
near a dolphin habitat of ecological importance,
the project tries to mitigate environmental impact
by close monitoring of water quality and dolphin
activities, and the use of non-dredging reclamation
to minimize the amount of water pollution.
Ng Tsz-man is a second year Bachelor of
Engineering student in Civil Engineering
at The University of Hong Kong. He was
awarded an Innovation and Technology
Scholarship in 2013. During an overseas
attachment at the University of Manchester,
he studied policy-making as well as
engineering because of his interest in
the effective collection of public ideas for
implementation of government projects.
Note
For more on tunnel boring in Hong Kong see http://hkieged.org/download/as2012.pdf
*Ed. Despite such efforts, there was public outcry about the cost of this project and the loss of a section of Victoria Park and many trees as a result of building a slip road to the bypass.
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p The Hong Kong-Zhuhai Macao Bridge project
Map courtesy of Highways department Hong Kong
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39
Youth Hong Kong
City space
June 2014 |
Listening, asking and understanding are the golden
rules of communicating and my mentor, Mr Kristofer
Riseling during a 6-week clinical attachment in
Canada was a very good role model. As an experienced
physiotherapist at the St. Mary's of the Lake Hospital
he could build up friendships with his patients while
maintaining his professional image. He encouraged
me to chat to patients and find out about their
hobbies and daily lives. The aim was to help them
return to normal, and that is impossible without
knowing about them and what they like to do.
Gardening, for example, was very important to
some of my patients. That was a surprise. It would
certainly not be the case in Hong Kong. Yet I
remember several patients being quite disturbed
by the thought that they could not look after their
gardens properly because of their physical ailments.
As a therapist, you can never assume anything.
I then went to the Tung Wah Hospital, where I was
honoured to have Dr Leonard SW Li, Consultant in the
Department of Medicine, as my mentor. Dr Li, though
very caring and affable, could be very strict with self-
indulgent patients who had no intention of looking
after their own health. Being kind does not help such
patients, especially if they do not realize the seriousness
of their condition. Dr Li tends to be critical rather than
kind but I learned that this is not necessarily a bad
thing. It is another way of communicating a message.
Organized by The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups
since 2011, the Scheme is supported by the Innovation
and Technology Commission and has sponsorship from
The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation
Ltd. Its aims are to nurture talented undergraduates
in science-related streams at local universities.
Special thanks to mentors and supervisors
Ng Tsz-mans mentor Mr Wai Chi-sing, JP, Permanent
Secretary for Development (Works), HKSAR Government
and his supervisor Ms Fiona Liu, former Technical
Secretary, Development Bureau. Mr Wai is also a
member of the ITSAS Awardee Selection Committee
Cindy Lam was mentored by Professor Nancy Ip, MH,
Dean of Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and
Technology, Dr CF Chan, Associate Consultant, Department
of Orthopedics and Traumatology, University of Hong
Kong, Dr Leonard SW Li, Consultant in the Department of
Medicine, Tung Wah Hospital, and Mr Kristofer A Riseling
of the St. Mary's of the Lake Hospital, which is affiliated
to Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
More details at http://innotechscholarship.hkfyg.org.hk
The Innovation and Technology Scholarship
Award Scheme
Building rapport
by Cindy Lam
As part of the scholarship I did internships at two local
hospitals as well. The first was at Queen Mary Hospital.
Dr CF Chan, Associate Consultant, was my mentor.
Like Kristofer, Dr Chan had very good rapport with
his patients. He listened carefully, with patience and
compassion, clearly interested in what was being said and
always ready to accommodate individual differences.
For instance, there was an elderly patient who did
not understand the procedures for knee replacement
surgery after reading a pamphlet. Straight away, Dr
Chan used pen and paper to explain step by step
through his own drawings. It was how he built up
trust. Now, I encourage my own patients to tell me
about both their physical and emotional problems.
In 2013, her final year as a Bachelor of
Science (Hons) physiotherapy student at
the Hong Kong Polytechnic University,
Cindy Lam, was awarded an Innovation
and Technology Scholarship.
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p Gardening was very important to some of my patients.
by William Wong
In Hong Kong, electricity generation accounted for
66% of all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions according
to the latest government statistics. According to these
figures, Hong Kongs total emissions were about 41,500
kilotonnes of carbon-dioxide equivalent (CO2-e)
with annual GHG emissions per person of about 5.9
tonnes of CO2-e: one of the highest in the world.
Clean energy
What can we do? Many countries are exploring
alternative, sustainable and renewable energy, including
solar, wind, nuclear, hydro and geothermal sources.
They do not directly emit greenhouse gases and thus are
considered clean. In the US, about 12% of the electricity
is currently generated from such sources. Can Hong
Kong develop the equivalent? The government has
suggested four possible choices: solar power, wind power,
energy-from-waste, and building-integrated fuel cells.
What is renewable energy?
US Energy Information Administration
definition Energy from sources that can be
regenerated and sustained indefinitely.
International Energy Agencys Renewable
Energy Working Party definition Energy
derived from natural processes that are
replenished at a higher rate than consumed.
Solar power
We have been using solar power for over 20 years,
for both heating and electricity generation. There are
photovoltaic systems in some buildings, with solar
panel arrays on roofs. These assist the traditional
electrical system but their contribution is only 10% of
the total, mainly because there is only moderate solar
radiation exposure in Hong Kong and the solar energy
collected cannot support the density of demand in
high-rise buildings. The good news is that the price
of solar panels has fallen 75% in the past five years.
However cheap solar panels manufactured on the
mainland produce a carbon footprint twice the size of
those made in Europe, according to a new U.S. study.
Wind power
Currently, there are few wind turbines in Hong Kong.
The climate and topography, high-density buildings and
relatively low wind speeds make it difficult to develop
extensive wind power on land. Offshore wind farms
may be an alternative. CLP Power and HK Electric have
proposed an offshore wind farm near Lamma Island,
in south-eastern Hong Kong waters. Environmental
impact assessments have been completed, permits
have been granted and the projects are supposed to
be completed in 2017. However, some environmental
professionals claim they may not be cost-efficient and
can only provide about 1% of Hong Kongs electricity
needs. Again, there are high installation costs.
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Alternative energy
B
urning fossil fuels is the traditional, reliable way of producing energy.
However, it creates greenhouse gases and pollution that cause global
warming and afect human health. Some fossil fuels are also in limited
supply. How can we help reduce emissions and solve the problem?
Youth Hong Kong
City space
| June 2014
40
Nuclear energy
Hong Kong has imported nuclear energy from mainland
Chinas Daya Bay power plant since 1994. It has low
carbon emissions but whether it can be considered
renewable energy is a controversial issue because
uranium deposits are finite. Although nuclear energy is
already providing a substantial proportion of electricity
in some parts of the world, the accidents at Chernobyl
and Fukushima indicate its potential drawbacks.
Geothermal energy and heat exchangers
Geothermal power is an abundant, under-used source
of energy. Hong Kong has no geothermally active
volcanoes, geysers or hot springs, but it can use heat
pumps for air conditioning or heating. One such a
system is installed at the Hong Kong Wetland Parks
Visitor Centre. It consists of a heat exchange system that
uses the earth as a heat source in winter and a heat sink
in summer via an external loop buried underground. It is
considered environmentally friendly, but there is debate
about whether it counts as a renewable source of energy
because the system requires traditional energy sources
to drive the pump and distribute the power generated.
Decisions on energy
It is estimated that the world's existing coal reserves
will be exhausted in 109 years, while reserves of natural
gas and crude oil are sustainable until 2068 and 2065
respectively. Power supply for future generations will rely
and alternative sources, but their socio-economic impact
must be carefully considered before their adoption.
Energy recovery from waste would be a good
potential renewable source and could help
solve the waste problem. Todays incineration
facilities are environmentally safe with greatly
reduced dioxin and mercury emissions.
Fuel cells convert chemical energy into electricity.
They can be connected to the electrical supply
system of a building. The technology is still evolving
and the disadvantage is the large amount of
space is needed for the installation of fuel cells.
Hydro-electric power is another form of renewable
energy but it usually involves a large dam to store
the water which drives turbine generators to
control water flow and is not considered feasible for
geographical, climatic and environmental reasons.
Alternative possibilities
Further reading
1. Chen, Olivia. The feasibility of developing renewable energy in Hong
Kong. Civic Exchange, 2013. http://www.cleanbiz.asia/blogs/feasibility-
developing-renewable-energy-hong-kong#.U1dpMPmSx8F
2. Electrical and Mechanical Services Department, HKSAR Government.
http://www.emsd.gov.hk/emsd/e_download/sgi/re_pamphlet.pdf
3. http://www.emsd.gov.hk/emsd/e_download/wnew/stage1_report.pdf
4. http://re.emsd.gov.hk/english/other/geothermal/geo_tech.html
5. International Energy Agency. https://www.iea.org/topics/renewables/
6. US Energy Information Administration. http://www.eia.gov/
energyexplained/index.cfm?page=renewable_home#tab1
7. Environmental Protection Department, HKSAR Government. http://
www.epd.gov.hk/epd/english/climate_change/resources.html
8. Luk, Eddie. Experts blow cold on wind power moves. The Standard, 9 Dec
2013. http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?we_cat=4&art_
id=140381&sid=41083701&con_type=1&d_str=20131209&fc=1
9. HK Electric. Building an Offshore Wind Farm near Lamma Island, http://
www.hkelectric.com/OffshoreWindFarm/Introduction/
10. CLP Power. Hong Kong Offshore Wind Farm https://www.
clp.com.hk/offshorewindfarm/home.html
11. http://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1523493/carbon-footprint-
chinese-solar-panels-twice-size-those-made-europe
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Youth Hong Kong
City space
June 2014 |
41
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p Some China Week 2014 train travellers.
Youth Hong Kong
HKFYG
| June 2014
42
In May and June, groups of three to six participants
aged 18-29, took sponsored train journeys of four
to ten days all over the country, to destinations
such as Beijing, Wuhan, Xian, Hangzhou, Guilin
and Dali City in Yunnan. The four dozen teams
talked to people, learned by experience, and did
liberal studies project work en route. They focused
on how China's development, culture and modern
history have all relied upon its rail network.
The young travellers planned their itineraries and
budgets carefully beforehand but were free to choose
routes and destinations. They enjoyed subsidized,
back-packer style travel with sponsorship of up to
HK$2,000 each. Two pre-trip workshops helped
them to prepare for their journeys. Speakers from the
RTHK programme *Cultural Heritage The Railroad
and the **Lumenvisum gallery explained how to use
videos and photos to show illustrate travel and culture
documentaries. During their travel, the teams uploaded
their photos and videos, sharing what they saw and did.
When they returned, representatives from the Ministry
of Railways and from the RTHK programme spoke
to them and other students about the development
of rail transport in China and its effects on culture,
history, and economy. About 400 secondary school
students attended the event and some of them will
be visiting schools in Hong Kong this summer to
give presentations and share what they learned.
China Week 2014
E
very year, the Federation organizes China Week in early summer. In 2014,
the theme is the development of Chinas rail network. The aim, as in all
China Week programmes, is to enhance young peoples understanding of
Chinese history and culture through activities outside the classroom.
Further information
View photos and videos at chinaweek.hkfyg.org.hk Contact Monica, tel 3755 7072, for further details.
*RTHK link http://programme.rthk.org.hk/rthk/tv/programme.php?name=tv/Culturalheritage_e&p=5089
**Lumenvisum https://www.facebook.com/lumenvisum.hk/info
Discovery tours by train
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p The opening of the Woosung Road, the frst railway in China,
between Shanghai and Wusong in 1876.
p The narrow 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) gauge Jiayang Coal Railway
in Sichuan Province.
p A steam locomotive and a diesel locomotive near the
Badaling Great Wall in Beijing in 1979
Youth Hong Kong
HKFYG
June 2014 |
43
China's railway development
Long-distance rail transport is an important mode
of transport in China and the network has expanded
rapidly in recent years. The China Railway Corporation
is the national operator. All provinces and regions
are connected to the rail network except Macao.
In 2013, there were 2.106 billion railways passenger
trips a compared to 1.456 billion trips in 2008. The sharp
increase in the number of train trips taken is driven by
the rapid growth of high-speed rail service. The average
length per trip was about 500 kilometres, an interesting
contrast to many countries, Germany for example,
where the average rail trip is only about 40 kilometres.
Freight trains are primarily for bulk cargo, the important
of which is coal. 2.322 billion tons of coal was shipped
on trains in China, about 58% of the total rail freight
tonnage of nearly 4 billion tons. Nearly all rail freight in
China is for domestic purposes. International rail cargo
totaled only 58 million tons in 2013, about 1.46% of the
total. Inland cities have begun to open up international
rail freight routes to promote trade. For example, in
2011, Chongqing began a freight service to Duisburg,
Germany, via Kazakhstan, Russia and Poland which
shortened shipping time from five weeks by sea to
about two weeks, and costs 80% less than air cargo.
Source
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rail_transport_in_China
China Week 2014
Dunhuang Gobi
Guilin
Tyan
Nanchang
Changsha
Haikou
Dali
Kunming
Harbin
Beijing
Jiangzhe
Fuzhou
Nanjing
Zhangjiajie
Luoyang
Foshan
Guiyang
Nanning
Jingdezhen
Lhasa
Xining
Lanzhou
Xian
Wuhan
Shanghai
Hangzhou
Huhhot
Huashan
Leshan
Suzhou
Chengdu
Qufu
Train trips were made to all cities marked on this map.
The aim of the Hong Kong 200 Leadership Project is
to create a talent pool for Hong Kong by nurturing
local youth leaders. Each year, the concept of youth
empowerment is employed during an intensive
training programme for the new participants. Peter
F. Drucker once said, Leadership is defined by
results, not attributes, and this is a guiding principle.
Accordingly, the trainees are led by about 20 senior
past participants who work on local and mainland
training schemes, recruit and interview group
leaders and help staff at the HKFYG Leadership
21 training centre to refine the programme.
Local training, from June to October, combines
acquisition of knowledge with practice in social
innovation. There are talks by experts such as Mr Peter
Wong, Deputy Chairman and Chief Executive,
The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation
Ltd. and Ms Ada Wong, Convenor and Founding
Co-Director, The Good Lab. Experiential learning
and service with NGOs, as well as social innovation
projects and community showcases are included.
The new Hong Kong 200 participants will go to
Guangzhou from 3 to 7 August for the mainland
component of the programme, which involves learning
through serving. In collaboration with NGOs, they will
help to deliver social services to migrant workers children
and children from low income families. They will also
have the opportunity to work with outstanding students
from Guangdong Province. The Guest Speaker for the
mainland training in 2014 is Mr Liao Qinan, Executive
Director of Guangdong Region, Teach for China.
Leadership Project
2014
Hong Kong
Guest Speakers for Hong Kong 200 local training 2014
p Mr Peter Wong, Deputy Chairman and Chief Executive,
The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Ltd.
p Ms Ada Wong,
Convenor and Founding Co-Director, The Good Lab
Youth Hong Kong
HKFYG
| June 2014
44
More information William Chung or Betty Tse, tel 2169 0255, email hk200@hkfyg.org.hk
p Hong Kong 200 participants serve migrant workers children in
Guangzhou. (Summer 2013)
Representing speed and perseverance in Chinese culture, the horse is a powerful
symbol and the paintings by Xu Beihong are inspiring icons. This years
programme also symbolizes the relationship between the old and the
new, the vitality of the young and the wisdom of the aged.
HKFYGs Centre for Continuous Learning is organizing this massive
event and the associated art installation exhibition from 17-21
October, at Olympian City, a shopping mall in West Kowloon. *
The Opening Ceremony will also be at Olympian City. The
event will culminate with the presentation and animation of
ten thousand decorated 3-D replicas of one of Xu Beihongs
famous galloping horses. An application has been made
for accreditation in the Guinness Book of Records.
Hong Kong schools are invited to take part and
collect replicas of a galloping horse, originally
depicted by Xu Beihong. The recycled cardboard
replica models can be decorated creatively
in any colour, material or pattern.
2
014 marks the Year of the Horse. In celebration, the Hong Kong
Federation of Youth Groups and the Xu Beihong Art Committee
are organizing the 5
th
Xu Beihong Cup International Arts
Competition for Youth & Children.
Ten thousand horses
galloping forward
Youth Hong Kong
HKFYG
June 2014 |
45
p Decorated model horses
Available for collection at HKFYG
until 20 September 2014
Return to 1/F HKFYG
by 30 September 2014
More details http://clc.hkfyg.org.hk/artspot.htm
Contact Rex Chan: xbh@hkfyg.org.hk
View video
http://clc2.hkfyg.org.hk/artspot/competition/2014/com2014_exhibition.html
*Olympian City information
http://www.discoverhongkong.com/nz/shop/where-to-
shop/malls-and-department-stores/olympian-city.jsp
FREE 3-D replicas for decoration
Youth Hong Kong
HKFYG
| June 2014
46
Jade Art is a unique jewellery shop in the Police
Married Quarters (PMQ) complex in Hong Kongs
upper Central district. Much more than a retail outlet,
it is also a social enterprise set up by The Hong
Kong Federation of Youth Groups to nurture the
appreciation of Chinese craftsmanship and tradition.
In order to ignite passion in young people for their
own cultural heritage, the Federation organizes
courses and workshops. Examples are Connoisseurship
of Chinese Antiques and Chinese Antique Jewellery
Design, both of which enriched knowledge about and
appreciation for Chinese artefacts in participants.
Inspired by the rich traditions of Chinese history and
culture, each item of fashionable jewellery on sale has
been made from a rare, valuable item, highlighting
delicate craftsmanship, ingenuity and creativity.
Mrs Lisa Cheung, the highly respected jewellery
designer and artefact restorer, well known for
Lisas Collection, is the Consultant Designer. She
is dedicated to teaching young people about the
magnificence of Chinese artefacts in person, enabling
them as future Ambassadors of Chinese culture.
Jade Art
jewellery shop and
social enterprise combined
More information
Jade Art Address S511, Block A, PMQ, 35 Aberdeen Street, Central, Hong Kong
Tel (852) 2803 2819Web jadeart.hkEmail jadeart@hkfyg.org.hk
Business hours Monday-Saturday 1:00pm to 8:00pm
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We are here
Youth Hong Kong
HKFYG
June 2014 |
47
Digital entertainment is an integral part of life for young
people today and multimedia is used by them to stay
connected. Following in their footsteps, six HKFYG Youth
SPOTs now have M21 Community Studios where short
films on community concerns are produced by youth.
Training and production includes interviewing, filming,
recording and editing. Partnerships with local schools
and other organizations encourage more young people
to take part and professionals from the film-making
industry offer advice and guidance. All the videos will
be shown on the Community Channel at m21.hk.
The concept behind the studios is to encourage youth
to contribute via familiar gateways to multimedia
technologies. The Community Studios also serve as
platform where they can turn their ideas into reality
with high-tech equipment. Ten production teams will
be making fifty short videos in the coming months.
M21 Community Studios at HKFYG Youth SPOTs near you
HKFYG Jockey Club Jat Min Youth SPOT tel 2647 0744
HKFYG Jockey Club Kwai Fong Youth SPOT tel 2423 1366
HKFYG Jockey Club Ping Shek Youth SPOT tel 2325 2383
HKFYG Jockey Club Shaukiwan Youth SPOT tel 2885 9353
HKFYG Jockey Club Tseung Kwan O Youth SPOT tel 2623 3121
HKFYG Jockey Club Tin Yiu Youth SPOT tel 2445 4868
The Hong Kong Youth Service Award, an initiative of
The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups, has been
established in order to honour, acclaim and encourage
outstanding young people who, through their commitment,
dedication and integrity, exemplify the true spirit of service
to the community. They brush colour into Hong Kongs
future giving ample encouragement and support to a new
generation of youth who are committed to serving others.
Awards
HK$20,000, trophy, certificate
Eligibility
Young people aged 18 to 35 years old, who have a track record of community service
Nomination
Please visit the official website of The Hong Kong Youth Service Award
ysa.hkfyg.org.hk to either nominate online or to download the nomination form.
Return the form to Leadership 21, The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups,
Unit 6, G/F, The Center, 99 Queens Road Central, Central, Hong Kong
Selection
Initial Selection: Saturday 27 September 2014
Interview: Saturday 11 October 2014
Those who fail to attend the interview session will be considered
as having forfeited their right of continued participation.
Selection Criteria
Detailed record of candidates community and public service
Evidence of measurable impact in meeting a community need
Support indicating candidates potential leadership skills and
competencies, including abilities to be a role model to others
Selection Panel
Chairman
The Hon. Andrew Li Kwok-nang, GBM, JP
The Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal (1997-2010)
Members
The Hon. Mrs. Fanny Law Fan Chiu-fun, GBS, JP
Non-Official Member of Executive Council, HKSARG
Mr. Jack So Chak-kwong, GBS, OBE, JP
Chairman, Hong Kong Trade Development Council
Prof. Frederick Ma Si-hang, GBS, JP
Honorary Professor, School of Economics and
Finance, The University of Hong Kong
Mr. Ambrose Ho
Chairman, Communications Authority
Ms. Shelley Lee Lai-kuen, GBS, OBE, JP
Director, Dragon Foundation
Dr. Rosanna Wong Yick-ming, DBE, JP
Executive Director, HKFYG
Enquiries Ms Iki CHAN tel 2169 0255
For the eighth summer in succession, HKFYG
will participate in Hong Kong Book Fair.
10 new books and two second-edition best
sellers will be on sale. Topics include cooking
counselling, software coding, youth business,
young people facing hardship, youth at
risk and voluntary work while travelling.
Media coverage by HKFYG The Youth News Centre run by HKFYG M21 young reporters with live news reports online in throughout the fair.
Discounts New publications 30% off; for others 40% off
Booth 1C-A21 1/F Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.
Wednesday 16 July Tuesday 22 July
Business hours
16-17 July Wednesday-Thursday 10am to 10pm
18-19 July Friday-Saturday 10am to 12 midnight
20-21 July Sunday-Monday 10am to 10pm
22 July Tuesday 9am to 5pm
More information Call Ada Chau, tel 3755 7108
HKFYG @Hong Kong Book Fair 2014
Youth Hong Kong
HKFYG
| June 2014
48
Third Five-Year Plan
from The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups
I
n the coming fve years, the Federation will continue to provide
top professional services to young people, especially to those in
need. The Third Five-Year Plan will deploy the following four
strategic goals to guide the development and innovation of youth
services.
1
Professionalism and Innovation
The Federation will continue to deliver the highest
level of professional services to meet the ever-changing
needs of the young generation. Emphasis will be on
professional training to enhance the qualifications and
capacities of staff, as well as recruitment of relevant
professionally talented personnel. Multi-disciplinary
approaches will be employed in service provision as the
Federation builds an innovative organizational culture,
encouraging creativity, and enhancing productivity
between the core services for greater social impact.
2
Engagement and Participation
With more than 390,000 youth members, the
Federation will continue to strengthen connectivity with
young people and reinforce their active engagement.
Over 60 websites, online and social media platforms,
mobile applications, uCafe, membership campaigns,
M21 Media web and M21 Stations will maintain
close links with them. Opportunities for youth
participation will be maximized through further
integration of youth services, both online and offline.
3
School and Community Networks
The Federation will reinforce its connectivity with
all stakeholders in the school network, including
students, parents and teachers, through the application
of the latest online technologies and the integration
of services. There will also be new services for tertiary
students. Continued engagement in the community,
fostering collaboration among existing services in the
community, developing new services, and nurturing
young people in community building, will remain
important parts of the Federations mission.
4
Efficiency and Resources
The Federation continues to perfect policies and
mechanisms in aspects of administration, finance,
human resources and service delivery, optimizing
existing IT systems and enhancing digital infrastructure.
All this will be carried out through effective and efficient
management. The Federation will also continue to build
partnerships and explore resources to sustain service
development, while recruiting young professionals
as volunteer strategic partners in youth work.
Note
The Third Five-Year Plan for was published in full with the Federations Annual Plan 2014-15. An Executive Summary in English
can be found at http://www.hkfyg.org.hk/files/hkfyg/Annual%20Plan/14-15/CH.1%20Executive%20Summary.pdf
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HKFYG @Hong Kong Book Fair 2014
49
Youth Hong Kong
On the agenda
June 2014 |
Housing: Housing: Housing:
Singapore and Hong Kong compared Singapore and Hong Kong compared Singapore and Hong Kong compared
Womens empowerment Womens empowerment Womens empowerment Womens empowerment
Dear Editor,
Thank you for the feature on
Lensational in your March issue. I
am delighted now to share with
you a new milestone. Early in May,
Lensational was selected as one
of five finalists in the McKinsey
Venture Academy, a UK-wide
social enterprise ideas competition
which I joined with three other LSE
students. One girl was from Pakistan
and two were from mainland
China. Although we did not win the
championship, Id like to tell you
about two key lessons learned.
First, I learned that the journey
matters more than the outcome.
I have often been fixated on
achieving something tangible be
it winning a prize, or getting good
grades, and I would say that most
young people in Hong Kong are
under similar pressure to succeed.
As it is now the graduation season,
more young people are job-
hunting, adding another pressure.
They may not succeed, but failure
is not the antithesis of success
indeed, it is symbiotic with success.
The dichotomy of winner and
loser can also be challenged. In
fact, the western entrepreneurial
community taught me that
people appreciate failure as much
as, if not more than, success.
Second, Gandhi famously said, be
the change you want to seek in the
world. My three teammates were
from developing countries where
gender equality is a distant goal.
They had never previously given
L
etters to the editor are always welcome. These deal with social enterprise, housing and
gifted children. The frst, from the author of an article we published in March, also
touches on the theme of this issue: the pressure to succeed.
Bonnie Chiu,
Co-founder and Director, Lensational
bonnie@lensational.org
Dear Editor,
Here in Hong Kong, there are
mounting demands for quality
of life, in affordable flats, with
good neighbourhood networks,
free from development, and easy
access to rural areas. This makes
me think of Singapore, and their
approach to social harmony
and satisfaction with life.
a presentation in public before a
western audience. But we have
got this far because of our vision
for Lensational, and our passion
for womens empowerment. I
think my three teammates set
very inspirational examples for the
women and girls back home.
We hope that Lensationals journey
will make a positive impact, not only
on the women we set out to serve,
but also on fellow young people
seeking to make a difference.
Thank you again for your support.
I appreciate the urban planning in
Singapore which maximizes the
use of flat land. Streets are wide
with much greenery. Congestion
in the city centre is prevented by
the Electronic Road Pricing system.
In residential areas, building height
is regulated, and sufficient open
space is guaranteed. Having said
that, Singapores orderliness and
regularity also brings rigidity, not
only to its streets but also between
districts. In Hong Kong, by contrast,
the look of Central, Mong Kok and
Sha Tin are distinctly different. Each
district has local character, whereas
most parts of Singapore look similar
because of stringent planning.
Hong Kong 200 participant, 2008
Youth Hong Kong
50
On the agenda
| June 2014
Lesley Cheung
lesleycheung120@gmail.com
Patrick Hak-chung Lam
Associate Director, The Hong Kong
Academy for Gifted Education
www.hkage.org.hk
Gifted children
Dear Editor,
In Hong Kong, no special schools
cater specifically for this group.
In fact, education for the gifted
should not aim to serve them alone,
but to incorporate challenging
and inspiring elements into the
curriculum and create an optimal
learning environment for all. Here are
four approaches which I call DEAR:
D
iversify: Gifted children need
broad, balanced learning
experiences to develop
diverse interests and create a
good career plan. In todays
pluralist society we cannot just
have a single intelligence.
E
nrich: Some gifted students who
learn rapidly find the curriculum
boring and unsatisfactory for their
learning needs. They may exhibit
thorny behavioural problems
that teachers and parents find
too difficult to deal with. These
students need enriched learning
experiences which provide them
with both high-order thinking
and creative thinking challenges.
A
ccelerate: Greater depth and
complexity in a compacted
or telescoped curriculum allow
gifted students accelerated
learning. With parents approval
and schools support, they may
be allowed to skip subjects or
grades and/or enter school or
university at an earlier age than
usual, primary school excepted.
R
espect: If gifted students lack
positive values, they are unlikely
to develop to full potential or
contribute positively. Computer
geniuses may spread computer
viruses or use con tricks. The
gunman in the Connecticut
school shooting two years ago
was a typical gifted student
lacking a positive outlook on
life. However, learning respect
for others, their environment
and themselves means they will
make good use of their talents in
order to contribute to society.
Try to discover the talents of your
gifted students. Their gifts are
invaluable assets for Hong Kong
and treasures for its future.
Singapores is a completely urban
country which homogenizes its
citizens way of life. Yet, closely tied
to Singapores urban planning is the
way it builds communities. Indeed,
the notion of home lies at the core
of Singapores housing policy. From
spacious flats and residential parks
to community centres, Singapore
dedicates a great deal of attention
to domestic well-being. Enjoying
good living conditions and serving
their own neighbourhoods as
representatives on Residents
Committees, Singaporeans are
generally satisfied with their
lives. However, compared to
Hongkongers, they feel the iron grip
of government much more strongly,
with no mah-jong or karaoke
allowed at home after 10.30pm.
Nevertheless, most Singaporeans
feel engaged in the community
and strongly connected with their
neighbours. This is what I would
like to see more of in Hong Kong.
b
y

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5
th
Xu Beihong Cup
International Arts
Competition for
Youth & Children 2014
Exhibition and animation of 10,000
decorated 3-D galloping horses
17-21 October
Olympian City, West Kowloon
Hong Kong schools are invited to decorate
FREE replicas of galloping horses
Available for collection until 20 September 2014
Full details http://clc.hkfyg.org.hk/artspot.htm
Contact Rex Chan: xbh@hkfyg.org.hk
Programme Enquiries
March 28 - April 13
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Soy-ink is biodegradable and non-toxic.
Publisher :
The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups www.hkfyg.org.hkwww.m21.hkwww.u21.hk
Youth Hong Kong: 21/F, The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups Building, 21 Pak Fuk Road, North Point, Hong Kong
Tel : 3755 70843755 7108Fax : 3755 7155Email : youthhongkong@hkfyg.org.hkWebsite : youthhongkong.hkfyg.org.hk
The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups
and
The Xu Beihong Art Committee
Celebrating the Year of the Horse