Youth News Statistics & trends Forums Donate to HKFYG
Partnership for the Young
Nurturing Youth for a DecadeKindling Enthusiasm for Science

This is the theme for the 10th anniversary Hong Kong Student Science Project Competition, organized jointly with the Innovation and Technology Commission (ITC), the Education Bureau and the Hong Kong Science Museum. The competition encourages innovative scientific talent used for creative inventions and investigations.
New features this year include both Junior (F.1-F.3) and Senior (F.4-7) divisions and a special award will be given for projects on sports science to echo the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. Winning teams have the chance of a sponsored overseas study tour and are invited to join the Hong Kong Youth Innovation Club, established by ITC and HKFYG with sharing sessions given by distinguished scientists. Participation is an inspiration for budding intellectual and career interests in the sciences and technology.

Kindergarten English Programmes funded by Quality Education Fund

The Federation's two Ching Lok kindergartens have funding from the Quality Education Fund to run workshops entitled Learn English Together from 2007-08. They are intended to help teachers improve pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary and teaching methods and will be organized by Native English- speaking Teachers (NETs). Workshops will also be held to help parents improve their children's English in daily life. While at school, the children will be immersed in an English-rich environment with new learning materials and have many opportunities for reading, writing, listening and speaking English.

Donation of calculators by Singapore Association for needy children

The Federation's Tin Yuet Youth SPOT will distribute 100 calculators generously given to us by the Singapore Association. They will go to needy children as part of Operation Santa Claus. Tel Fiona Sze 2445_5777 for more information.

 
 
Hong Kong Student Science Project Competition

Last call for entrants Entries from teams of secondary students are invited
Deadline for entry 26 January 2008
Final date for submission of completed projects 11 April 2008
Enquiries to The Hong Kong Student Science Project Competition
Secretariat, c/o The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups
G/F, 54 Bedford Road, Tai Kok Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Email sspc@hkfyg.org.hk
Tel:(852) 2561 6149
Fax:(852) 2565 8345
More information at http://www.hksspc.gov.hk/2008/
eng/index_01_eng.html

Hong Kong Student Science Project Competition
Cheering Day for Lunar New Year Bazaar Award Scheme

Date Monday 4 February 2008
Time 2pm to 3.30pm
Venue Victoria Park, Causeway Bay
Guest of Honour The Honourable Chan Ka Keung, SBS, JP
Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury
Expected participation six stalls run by young people

Youth Career Expo

Date Friday 29 February 2008
Time 10am to 6pm
Venue Kingswood Ginza
     Kingswood Plaza, Tin Shui Wai
Participants 3,000 youngsters expected

 
5th International Lifelong Learning Conference

Venue Central Queensland University Yeppoon, Queensland, Australia, 4703
Date 16-19 June 2008
Aim to bring together delegates from Australasia and around the world to explore the latest lifelong learning concepts, practices, and research.
http://lifelonglearning.cqu.edu.au/2008/

Resources on lifelong learning

Integrating lifelong learning perspectives ed by Carolyn Medel-Anonuevo. Hamburg, Germany: Unesco Institute for Education, 2002. http://www.voced.edu.au/td/tnc_73.251
A publication of the Beijing International Conference on Lifelong Learning: Global Perspectives in Education, July 2001.

Lifelong learning by Des Monk and Songhao Li. University of Central Lancashire, 2004.
http://www.uclan.ac.uk/facs/lbs/
research/working_papers/no3.doc

Discusses common trends in lifelong learning policies in China and the United Kingdom with questionnaire-based empirical evidence.

Eco Tour course

In a century where innovation and co-operation are vital for success, having the broad horizons that come from lifelong education allows you to acquire new skills and put them to work. This is especially crucial for those who are choosing a new career path or seeking to develop professionally.

A competitive, progressive society provides continuous learning platforms outside formal channels for this purpose. That is why the Federation has opened a Continuous Learning Centre at its convenient new Youth SPOT in North Point. All the courses are interesting with practical, long-lasting value. They provide for the young professional and everyone who wants to become more rounded.

Read Forums below and visit www.clc.hkfyg.hk for more information.

 
It's never too late to learn
Learning TV production
 

It’s the heart afraid of breaking that never learns to dance.
It is the dream afraid of waking that never takes the chance.
It is the one who won't be taken who cannot seem to give.
And the soul afraid of dying that never learns to live.
Bette Midler

Mr Ko of the Chung Ying Theatre Company has taught at Hong Kong's universities for many years but he believes that the process of continuous learning is one which helps you train your brain to create new pathways and connections for learning:

Youngsters need to feed their brains with new ways of thinking but they must keep their objectives firmly in mind and learn how to visualize and imagine what they want to achieve...

Mr Ko teaches young people about the arts and creativity and will be speaking to youth at the Continuous Learning Centre in North Point. He thinks it is an essential part of their education not encouraged by the Hong Kong system.

I encourage young people to take up at least one art form when they have left school...they need the creative frame of mind to become a habit, they need to travel and do at least one new thing every day...

 
Mr Ko Tin Lung

A one-stop service for those who wish to pursue continuing education is provided on the Education Bureau's website* which is linked to a number of other homepages which are related to continuing education.

There is strong government support for lifelong learning in Hong Kong and funding is available through the Continuing Education Fund (CEF). All those over school age who want to learn more can apply for subsidies to take recognized courses. Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, speaking about lifelong learning said:

Learning new skills
 

...our workforce [needs to be] adequately prepared and well equipped to cope with the changing manpower needs in an increasingly globalised and knowledge-based economy...**

The Federation's new Continuous Learning Centre is offering the innovative, courses that fit the needs of young adults who are looking for a wider range of skills, competencies and leisure interests.


Our courses include an attractive spectrum of themes and are grouped into two series:
Youth Lifestyle Series: Wealth Management, Social Communications, Health
Youth Professional Development Series: Practical and professional, industry-related training for exploring career paths

Courses range widely in scope and include:
entering the theatre***
wealth management****
creative flower arrangement*****

There are also courses on dog training, Chinese traditional medicine, coffee making and local Hong Kong culture as well as running your own business, to mention just a few.

Full information on these courses is available at www.clc.hgfyg.org. Contact Michelle or Sing with enquiries, tel 3755 7021.


* http://www.edb.gov.hk/index.aspx?nodeid=104&langno=1
**http://www.sfaa.gov.hk/cef/text/news_improvement.htm
*** Professional Theatre Performer with Mr Ko Tin Lung, Artistic Director of the Chung Ying Theatre Co
**** Women and Wealth Management with Ms Linda Tse, founder of Go Rich
***** Creativity in Flower Arrangement Design with Modern Flower Arrangement School instructors

 
Work-life balance
Hurrying to work
 

Since the establishment of the government's Continuing Education Fund in June 2002, more than 350,000 applications for grants have been approved for more than 6,000 courses. A report* on continuing and professional education in the city by the University Grants Committee shows that there is a high proportion of youth engaged in courses after leaving school.

Percentage of Students on award-bearing
Continuing or Professional Education Courses

Age Group

% of Students

20 or below

2.6

21-29

59.4

30-39

29.6

40+

8.4

Source : CHL Report http://www.ugc.edu.hk/eng/ugc/publication/report/hervw/ugcreport.htm

While the need and usefulness of continuing education is undeniable, the tendency of Hong Kong youth with any ambition to take further education courses emphasises the tendency to over work. Combined with the long hours office culture, evening classes can take up all available leisure time. This trend needs to be redressed by work-life balance. Surveys done in Hong Kong show that:

51 hours a week at work in Hong Kong is average
this is 25% higher than the maximum set by the International Labour Organization

A third of respondents said their productivity was being affected by long hours and the same number said long hours were causing health problems. The trends are similar overseas as long as employers do not have a policy to prevent it. Such policies include child-care help, a week's paid leave in the case of a family emergency and "duvet days" to allow the overworked to recover from their overtime without having to make excuses.

Corporate executives said in a seminar in Hong Kong*** that flexible working arrangements and other measures to improve work-life balance can motivate staff and boost efficiency instead of jeopardizing productivity.

Another Hong Kong survey done by the Chinese University**** found that:
73% of workers feel it is their responsibility to do overtime
44% of those who do a lot of overtime do not expect to be paid for it

And a third survey***** from the University of Hong Kong revealed that
75% of people here work late in the evening
60% do so to be more productive and cope with their work load
75% are suffering from stress and lack of exercise
30% said they could not leave before the boss

Source : HKU survey http://www.communitybusiness.org.hk/documents/WLB%20full%20report.pdf

Work-life balance is an integral part of corporate social responsibility and good employers recognise that it is their obligation to ensure that staff do not damage their lives outside the office because of work.

* http://www.sfaa.gov.hk/cef/text/news_improvement.htm
** http://www.ugc.edu.hk/eng/ugc/publication/report/hervw/ugcreport.htm
** http://www.csr-asia.com/index.php?p=10124 (reported in June 2007 on a survey done by a Hong Kong non-profit organization, Community Business)
**** http://www.cuhk.edu.hk/cpr/pressrelease/051104e.htm
***** http://www.communitybusiness.org.hk/documents/WLB%20full%20report.pdf

| | | | | | |