The Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, today (August 28) attended the "Mainland study tour of the senior secondary subject of Citizenship and Social Development (CS) thanksgiving session and launch ceremony of the new school year", jointly organised by the Department of Education of Guangdong Province and the Education Bureau (EDB) in Guangzhou. The Permanent Secretary for Education, Ms Michelle Li, also joined the event.
 
     Addressing the ceremony, Dr Choi expressed gratitude to leaders of the Office of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Affairs of the Ministry of Education, the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Department of Education of Guangdong Province and the education bureaux of various municipalities for their support and care for Hong Kong students, facilitating successful completion of the study tour programme.
 
     She said that, in his recent reply letter to Hong Kong secondary students, President Xi Jinping especially encouraged students to combine reading and travelling, delve into the history and culture of the country and national affairs, strengthen their affection for and sense of belonging to the country and sharpen their skills and abilities. In the new school year, with the good experience over the past few months, the EDB will strengthen collaboration with various units to further expand the Mainland study tour programme, enrich students' learning experience, deepen the results of the study tours, inspire students' interests, and help them combine reading and travelling to fully implement the spirit of President Xi's letter.
 
     The event today was attended by over 200 representatives from Hong Kong and the Mainland. Principals and students from two Hong Kong schools shared about what they had gained from the study tours. Representatives from the Shenzhen Municipal Education Bureau and the Chaozhou Municipal Education Bureau also concluded their experiences in receiving the tours. Dr Choi, Ms Li and Mainland leaders then officiated at the launch ceremony to mark the beginning of the CS Mainland study tours in the new school year. 
 
     The first CS Mainland study tour began in April this year. The tours have been well received by the education sector with over 43 000 senior secondary students and more than 5 000 teachers participating so far. The Mainland study tours in the new school year will include routes outside Guangdong Province with a longer duration. For some itineraries, pilot visits to activity bases for students' comprehensive practice in Guangzhou and Shanghai will be arranged for experiential learning in line with the CS curriculum to further broaden students' horizons.
 
     This morning, Dr Choi visited the headquarters of Tencent Holdings Limited in Shenzhen and explored opportunities for further co-operation. She will tour the Guangzhou University City tomorrow morning (August 29) to learn about its planning, operation and management. She will return to Hong Kong in the afternoon.

Ends/Monday, August 28, 2023
Issued at HKT 18:55

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