Lingnan University establishes the Jockey Club Hong Kong History Learning Programme to develop teaching and learning resources on Hong Kong history

29 Apr 2016

 
 

Lingnan University established the “Jockey Club Hong Kong History Learning Programme” with the generous donation of HK$14.83 million from The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust. Launching ceremony of the Programme was held today (29 April) at the University’s campus.
 

The Jockey Club Hong Kong History Learning Programme, an unprecedented one both in nature and scope, is a three-year project to be implemented by the Hong Kong and South China Historical Research Programme of Lingnan University. Targeted at all primary and secondary school students and teachers in Hong Kong, the Programme aims to develop a set of teaching and learning resources delving into the breadth of Hong Kong history in supporting the key learning area of “Personal, Social and Humanities Education” of the primary and secondary curriculum.
 

 

The University was honoured to have the presence of Mr Eddie Ng Hak-kim, Secretary for Education as officiating guest at the Programme’s launching ceremony. In his address at the ceremony, Mr Ng pointed out that most of our youngsters were born and bred here in Hong Kong and thus understanding the historical development of Hong Kong is a matter of course. In addition, the history of Hong Kong is also an integral part of Chinese history. The “Jockey Club Hong Kong History Learning Programme” would provide youngsters with enormous resources and learning experiences on local history. It could also enhance students’ interest in learning history and foster their abilities of self-directed learning and higher order thinking.

The Jockey Club Hong Kong History Learning Programme comprises five key components including development of teaching kits on Hong Kong history, thematic seminars, study tours, oral history workshops and mobile exhibitions. “Under the Programme, Lingnan University will develop free Hong Kong history teaching and learning resources for primary and secondary schools in Hong Kong, with not less than 75 topics covering areas in geography, politics, economy, society, cultural, biography, buildings and other thematic records,” said Prof Lau Chi-pang, Coordinator of Lingnan University’s Hong Kong and South China Historical Research Programme and Director of the Jockey Club Hong Kong History Learning Programme at the ceremony.

Meanwhile, during the project period the University will organise some 80 activities to cultivate in students and teachers a more in-depth understanding on Hong Kong’s development and changes, and educate the younger generation on ways to preserve Hong Kong’s precious history collectively as well as a sense of how to understand history.

 
Another officiating guest at the ceremony, The Hong Kong Jockey Club's Head of Charities (Communication and Engagement) Ms Irene Chan, observed that the project’s all-round experiential learning activities will give students a first-hand understanding of Hong Kong’s past and present, encouraging them to protect the city's heritage and culture.
 
In his remarks, Prof Leonard K Cheng, President of Lingnan University thanked The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust for their generous donation, as well as the support from the Education Bureau and other parties which made the Learning Programme possible. “I believe with the blending of Lingnan University’s academic research on and knowledge in history with the participation and practice of primary and secondary teachers and students, the new generation of Hong Kong will be instilled a more in-depth understanding on the subject of history, be nurtured with a sense of history, and have their horizon broadened in appreciating the history of Hong Kong,” said President Cheng.
 
Over the past few months, the Programme has worked with about 60 primary and secondary schools on the implementation of related teaching and learning activities, including conducting pilot teaching and review on the teaching kits, and participating in thematic seminars, study tours, oral history workshops and mobile exhibitions.
 
For more details about the Programme, please visit the website: www.ln.edu.hk/hkschrp/jchkhlp/introduction-cht.php