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MAKING A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE With an advanced STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) focus, offering the US Common Core Curriculum with an IB Diploma option in Grades 11 and 12, sports and extra-curricular activities, daily Chinese program and student leadership initiatives, American School Hong Kong (ASHK) is a K-12 non-profit, college preparatory school opening August 2016 in Tai Po. Now accepting applications for KG – Grade 6 (ages 5-12).
AMERICAN SCHOOL HONG KONG
Discover an innovative, world class American education for your child, meet us at our Parent Information Sessions.
April 7
12-2 pm
April 14
3-4 pm 6-7 pm
Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong 1301 Kinwick Centre, 32 Hollywood Road, Central Hong Kong Science Park Conference Hall 04 – 2/F, 10W, Lakeside 2, Phase II, Shatin
Limited seating, please register early at www.ashk.hk or call us on 3974 8554.
Admissions Office The Hong Kong Club Building 1503C, Level 15, 3A Chater Road 2
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www.ashk.hk
ASHK Location 6 Ma Chung Road Tai Po, New Territories
T: +852 3974 8554 E: admissions@ashk.hk SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
CONTENTS
8 18 22 Cover: Shutterstock
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FEATURE More Than Beauty Art education enlightens the young mind in many ways — May Chan Rhodes
CASE STUDY Sound Notes, Brushstrokes The arts give creativity free rein at the German Swiss International School — Vickie Chan
SPECIAL REPORT Tech Revolution The explosion in information and communication technology is transforming every aspect of our lives, including classroom learning — Chris Davis
SPECIAL REPORT Tools Not Toys How to make technology useful in the classroom? — Alasdair Ong and Simone Nielsen
SCHOOL VISIT Do It Yourself Fairchild Junior Academy believes giving children the chance to try things out forges creativity and critical thinking — Andrea Zavadszky
SUBJECT CHOICES Modern Classics An education in the humanities can be your passport to university — Caroline Drewett
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HIGHER EDUCATION Do What You Love Students should take note of what subjects they enjoy when choosing a programme — Simon Ho Shun-man
OVERSEAS All Aboard Britain’s renowned boarding schools are expensive to attend, but scholarships and bursaries can make them affordable — Caroline Drewett
CURRICULUM Inquiring Minds Children benefit from inquiry-based learning, rather than content-based learning — Bipasha Minocha and Leanne Sunarya
OPINION Falling Short Why is there a dearth of affordable English-medium school places in Hong Kong? — Ruth Benny
EVENT Fun With Numbers The DragonMath competition encourages learning by making maths fun — Andrea Zavadszky
EDITORIAL Editor: Ginn Fung | Assistant Editor: Vivi Li Community Editor: Daisy Fung | Editor: Samuel Lai Art Director: Candy Lai | Assistant Art Director: Ming | Editorial Assistant: Wendy Lau Sub-editors: Andrea Zavadszky, Paul Wenham | Freelance designer: Derik Chan ADVERTISING Assistant Sales Director Alex Wong (852)2680 8984 alex.wong@scmp.com
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CONTACT US Editorial: editor@educationpost.com.hk | Advertising: advertising@scmp.com Reprint: reprint@scmp.com Good Schools Guide is printed and published by South China Morning Post Publishers Limited, Morning Post Centre, 22 Dai Fat Street, Tai Po Industrial Estate, Tai Po, New Territories, Hong Kong. Tel: 2680 8888. Printed by Haven Design & Production Co., Unit 1406, 14/F, The Broadway, 54-62 Lockhart Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong Tel:2386 1197. © SCMPPL
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More Than Beauty Art education enlightens the young mind in many ways reports May Chan Rhodes
A
rt education matters not only because it helps students develop various types of intelligence. It also provides an alternative set of lenses for young people to relate to the world we live in and reflect on what they see, according to education experts. Susanna Chung, head of learning and participation at Asia Art Archive, says schools in Hong Kong have come a long way in helping students use art as a means of inquiry, but adds that art education in the city faces the same issue as in the rest of Asia - the lack of contemporary Asian art references in the form of archiving, regular exhibitions in museums and galleries, and teaching materials.
Photo: AFP
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Founded in 2000, Asia Art Archive has been working with local and international schools, and educators in
Hong Kong, the mainland and across the region to raise awareness of contemporary Asian art and promote art education. It has also built up resources such as a mobile gallery of art books, a growing digital art archive, and school tours and workshops for teachers, students and the public. “Since 2009, art criticism and art history have been included as part of the visual art curriculum in Hong Kong,” says Chung. “However, although teachers want to include contemporary arts in designing the curriculum, they simply don’t know where to start, because there is a historical void. The art education materials we have in Asia, especially countries with a colonial past, are by and large under the influence of the west. “It is an issue we all have to address because topics such
as gender equality, environmental protection, technology and political issues are best addressed by contemporary art,” Chung says. She stresses that works by contemporary Asian artists help students look at the world around them through the artists’ eyes, and open up a new realm of possibilities in terms of how they perceive various issues, the impact they make, and the possible solutions that they imagine could happen. Not to address the need for greater exposure to contemporary Asian art would be to risk a “discon-
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FEATURE
nect” between art education and reality, Chung says. Rowena Cheung Po-man, former president of the Hong Kong Society for Education in Art (HKSEA), says schools need to become creative in involving local artists in teaching and in utilising the resources provided by various organisations.
The public may think that art education is always better in the cash-rich private sector, which is not true ROWENA CHEUNG PO-MAN
Cheung, who currently teaches at the Hong Kong Taoist Association Wun Tsuen School, has received numerous teaching awards over the years, including the Education Bureau’s Chief Executive’s Award for Teaching Excellence in the Arts Education Key Learning Area. “The public may think that art education is always better in the cash-rich private sector, which is not true,” says Cheung. “There are a lot of public and direct subsidy scheme (DSS) schools doing a good job in art education. The quality depends on the direction of the school’s management, the teachers’ abilities, and also the attitude of the parents.” Speaking from her own experience, she urges art teachers to be bold and take more in-
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itiatives in seeking resources and in involving teachers, parents and students in art activities to help them experience and visualise how art can impact their lives. “Art is more than making a beautiful picture,” Cheung says. “It helps you appreciate the world and express yourself. You also get to develop your critical thinking skills as you stretch your imagination in the creative process. “I believe that no school or parent nowadays would say that art is not important for children. It is a matter of making them see art as an integral part of what they are trying to achieve in a child’s education, instead of something that competes for time and resources with other subjects or extracurricular activities.” Local visual artist Yau Kwok-keung, who founded an art collective called Dirty Paper with his artist friend Chan Wai-lap, likes to share some of the best practices they have witnessed while working with young people and schools. Both educated in the local system, the pair met at the
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FEATURE
Age
Developmental Stage
Characteristics
2-4 years old
Scribbling stage
-- Scribble and manipulate the drawing tool with little concern for the appearance of the resulting marks -- divided into three stages: random scribbling, controlled scribbling, naming of scribbling -- not necessary to provide a template (e.g. colouring book) -- offer a large sheet of paper and crayons; let them explore the kinesthetic and imaginative experience of scribbling
4-7 years old
Pre-schematic stage
-- producing symbols that represent the child’s environment in shapes and lines -- not yet developed “schema” for the drawing -- guide the children with questions, asking them what, when and where the picture is about -- don’t stress that the pictures be realistic
7-9 years old
Schematic stage
-- repetition of symbols for familiar objects, and the use of the baseline -- the pictures become more complex -- without further instruction and practice, a few children will reach a plateau during the latter part of this stage
9-12 years old
Dawning realism stage/gang age
-- transition from art as purely symbolic to art as a creative outlet -- frustration is common as the child tries to develop expertise -- mixture of realism and fantasy, details and shorthand symbols -- able to think logically, and develop personal sets of rules instead of just following rules set by adults -- place great emphasis on their social interaction -- become anxious when comparing with peers
12-14 years Pseudo old naturalistic stage
-- producing work in the manner of adults -- become most critical and self conscious about their ability to produce realistic artwork -- frustration is very common. Critically important to encourage students at this stage
14-17 years Period of old decision
-- decide to continue drawing or view it as an activity not worth the time -- continue to be critical of self, and many see drawing as a skill that they simply do not possess -- some decide to continue developing their drawing skills, important to encourage students to continue drawing despite their level of skill, and emphasise a mindset where any skill can be acquired through practice
Hong Kong Design Institute after finishing the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination. They specialise in creating works that evoke nostalgia and collective memories, and these are displayed widely in Hong Kong and the mainland. Yau observes that school culture makes a big difference, and that this can be seen in how students make use of school facilities and resources in the wider community. For example, at HKICC Lee Shau Kee School of Creativi-
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ty, the entire set-up is aimed at encouraging creativity, and this is evident in the way corridors and walls have been opened up for creative activities instead of limiting them to the four walls of a classroom. Yau was involved in an art project with the school, working alongside a qipao dressmaker. While the tailor taught students the skills of making a traditional qipao dress, Yau guided them in the creative process, enabling them to incorporate
their experiences, memories, and feelings about certain events, into the design. “As an artist, I love experiencing the world with my students, and helping them translate these experiences into something creative. For me, this is what makes arts meaningful,” Yau says. As for the performing arts, Lai Tak-wai, an award-wining professional dancer who appeared in various productions and teaches numerous dance groups in Hong
Kong and the mainland, says a school’s achievements should not be judged by the number of trophies it has won at competitions, but by its mindset. “Many schools do drama and dance, and they participate in various inter-school competitions,” Lai says. “It is not a bad thing. However, you should pause and ask: what if you lose? Does it mean you should not dance? “It is important that the teachers help students find
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Asia Art Archive orgranises exchange trips to different parts of the world on a regular basis.
the meaning of dancing before, during and after the competition so that they know it is not about achievement. Dance develops your ability to express yourself through non-verbal communication and to appreciate the body regardless of its shape. It builds up your confidence and makes you a better communicator.” One sign that a school recognises the importance of the performing arts in education is their inclusion as regular lessons not just as extracurricular activities, Lai says. He points out that English Schools Foundation (ESF) schools are generally very good at doing so, while some local schools, such as Sacred Heart Canossian College, are
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also doing a great job in including dance and drama as regular subjects for students. However, while art and creativity are generally embraced by international schools and their students’ parents as an integral part of the children’s education, these schools must go a step further by taking into account the transient nature of the school community when designing the art curriculum. While the possibility of parents relocating within a few years may affect the continuity and stability of performing groups, ensembles, and learning to play instruments, it also gives students the motivation to join performing arts groups because they provide the kind of instant social connections
that students need after relocation, says Elise Kelly, primary music specialist at the Australian International School Hong Kong (AISHK). Bas Buwalda, a Year 6 student at the school who relocated from Australia to Hong Kong seven months ago, says music helped him settle in and connect with the community. “All of a sudden, I got to know people and they enjoyed my music,” says Buwalda, who won the school’s talent show, and has been performing with its choir and jazz band at community events. “Music always helps me one way or another.” In terms of curriculum design, while following the
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Australian national curriculum, the school also modifies certain elements in order to be relevant to the Hong Kong setting. For example, the Australian curriculum puts a strong focus on understanding of aboriginal Australian culture and practices. While this is deemed a key part of student learning at AISHK, an understanding of other world cultures is also recognised as an integral aspect of education in Hong Kong. “The international school environment in Hong Kong allows students to share their experiences with students and staff of different backgrounds, fostering a greater understanding of various cultures and practices, and how music, drama and dance entwines with this,” says Kelly. The school provides students with numerous internal and external opportunities to perform. Within the school, students have the chance to perform at weekly assemblies, as well as at in-house functions such as the Aus-
tralia Day Assembly, Welcome Barbecue, and inaugural Scholar’s Assembly. AISHK students have already appeared at several external events this year. These include on an A Cappella ensemble performing at the Australian Chamber of Commerce Australia Day Luncheon, the jazz band playing at the Kowloon District Police Road Safety Carnival, and the primary choir singing at the Australian and Chinese Association of Hong Kong 24th Anniversary Ball. “Where possible, the performing arts department at AISHK works with all parts of the school to ensure students are able to pursue music and drama alongside their other interests and skills,” Kelly says, citing research findings on how music education can improve brain functions. “The benefits of a holistic performing arts education are also communicated to students, staff and parents.”
It is important that the teachers help students find the meaning of dancing before, during and after the competition so that they know it is not about achievement LAI TAK-WAI
hand in hand with colleagues when designing the overall arts portfolio for the school. Lifelong learning is the overall goal of the school’s education, he says, and no teacher should work in isolation as everyone is part of the same bigger picture. Lee also stresses that it is important to be flexible and to respond to the interests of students. For example, sensing serious interest in photography in his class, he chose to use relevent projects to introduce different art theories instead of us-
ing more traditional mediums. “Teachers should respond to the students’ desires and be flexible, so that their teaching becomes relevant to their lives,” he says. On the subject of contemporary art, Lee says it remains a challenge for local and international schools alike to find resources next to home. The school has actively worked with local artists, and with organisations such as the Hong Kong
John Lee, the middle school art teacher at Hong Kong International School, agrees that art teachers should work
AISHK provides students with numerous internal and external opportunities to perform.
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FEATURE
Don’t let doodling talents By May Chan Rhodes dwindle
Youth Arts Foundation (HKYAF), in order to get connected to the local art scene. HKYAF founder Lindsey McAlister says she is happy that art provides a platform for students and teachers of different backgrounds to come together. The HKYAF has been organising workshops and art events for young people and teachers for the past 24 years, including Arts in the Park, an annual event which attracted almost 40 UK and local professional artists, and over 3,500 students from various schools, in 2015. “You can never be wrong in art. There are so many areas in life you can be wrong in, but arts and creativity are not among them,” says McAlister. “Kids are just so liberated by those words. You can’t be wrong when you contribute openly and honestly with an open heart and open mind. It is very compelling to keep getting involved in the arts because, in school, most of the classes will tell you what
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answers are right or wrong. The skills you pick up in the arts are also for life. In the performing arts, for example, you pick up verbal and non-verbal communication skills, not to mention leadership, team-building, and lots more.”
Don’t push young children to learn drawing at an art studio too early, or you could be nipping their creativity in the bud. So says Dr Wong So-lan, a senior teaching fellow specialising in art curriculum design at the Hong Kong Institute of Education.
While emphasising that educators and parents have come a long way in recognising the importance of the arts, McAlister challenges them to take a step further and resist the temptation to try to quantify artistic achievements with examination after examination.
“I have been told by many fine art students teaching at studios that their job is to make sure youngsters produce a pretty picture, when the lesson ends after an hour,” says Wong, who also works with the Hong Kong Society for Education in Art (HKSEA) in promoting the subject.
“Personally, I don’t think it is necessary to have examinations in the arts apart from certain art forms,” she says. “By having an examination where it is not necessary, you are pitting children against one another again. And extra classes to prepare for exams can be ridiculously expensive, putting more pressure on the children to ‘do well’. “I am interested in a young person being the best they can be, and they are achieving their full potential through being involved in an art project. “Hong Kong kids are really awesome when given the opportunity and structured freedom, so that they get the tools they need to express themselves.”
proper instruction is provided to meet the children’s need to acquire relevant techniques to express themselves artistically. Different sets of skills are required for teaching kindergarten, early or senior primary school students, but sadly, schools and parents do not usually know enough about this. “The result is that children are being discouraged at a very young age because they keep being told that this is not the way they should draw,” says Wong.
“The boss will say: draw something on the board and let them copy you. If they cannot produce something the way you do, just help them. Let the parents see a nice picture when they come to pick them up. However, it is just not possible, or appropriate, for their age.”
Wong explains that she and the HKSEA, which has already built connections with the primary and secondary school community, are keen to reach out to parents of kindergarten-age children in order to help them develop a healthy attitude and preserve their youngsters’ creativity.
It is not uncommon for parents to send primary school students to art studios to learn drawing and painting. Unlike in secondary school, though, primary school teachers are not necessarily trained in fine art or art education. The result is a disconnect between the child’s artistic development and what is being taught at school.
“It is not uncommon for parents to tell a five-year-old that a man’s face should not be painted red, or that the car should not look so much bigger than other things in the picture. We don’t realise that at this stage what matters is that you get the children to explain to you what the symbols actually mean,” Wong says.
Children are naturally creative until the age of eight or nine, Wong says, but their creativity starts to dwindle as cognitive development picks up, if no
“Young children naturally love doodling. If they tell you they don’t know how to draw, that means they have been misled by the grown-ups already.”
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ASHK Entrance Rendering
New US school to STEAM ahead with learning ‘through-train’
S
ituated in an attractive setting close to an MTR exit in Tai Po, the American School Hong Kong (ASHK) welcomes the first intake of students in September this year. The school will initially cater for children from kindergarten age through to Grade 6 (ages 5-12). Ultimately, with the Middle School scheduled to open in 2017 and the High School in 2018, ASHK will provide full-scale K-12 high-quality education to around 1,000 students. ASHK director John Jalsevac is confident that the school will provide for its students an exemplary international education program with facilities to match. He is a strong advocate for instilling a balanced and holistic learning environment in the school community to support a
student’s full intellectual, physical, moral and social development. “We look forward to making a positive contribution to the Hong Kong community by providing a world-class education environment where children are genuinely inspired to be the best that they possibly can be,” says Jalsevac, who has held senior education management positions in Asia for more than 12 years. The spacious purpose-built campus, which is undergoing a HK$140 million retrofit, is designed and equipped for 21st century teaching and learning initiatives. Computers, iPads, mobile devices, smart screens, and classroom management software are connected throughout the school via an intelligent infrastructure. Emphasis will also be placed on an innovative STEAM program
Sponsored Feature
John Jalsevac, School Director of ASHK which refers to the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and incorporates the Arts. “In our technicallyfocused world, individuals must also be creative and use higher order critical thinking skills to build upon the knowledge gained from the study of Math and Science. STEAM teaches flexible thinking and creative problem solving. It requires constant collaboration and teamwork. The goal is to foster true innovation.” Jalsevac says. In addition to STEAM focus classrooms, ASHK will also have laboratories for Biology, Chemistry, and Physics, a well-resourced Library, specialist rooms for Music, Art, Drama, and a modern gymnasium. The school will also have access to outdoor sports facilities and the open green environment in the Tai Po region. “Sports and physical well-being are an integral part of a well-rounded education,” says Jalsevac, who subscribes to a “sound body, sound mind” notion of physical and intellectual development.
ASHK is designed as a “through train” system, or continuous education program from kindergarten to grade 12, the last year of high school. “This allows teachers to monitor growth and follow a student’s journey through their various developmental phases. It also provides for us an opportunity to build a strong sense of community within the school” notes Jalsevac. He adds that an important part of ASHK’s vision is to help students take ownership and responsibility for their education so that they can apply knowledge to overcome challenges and view the world around them as a rich and welcome resource. Taught by an experienced and enthusiastic, largely North American, faculty, the Elementary and Middle School sections will follow a curriculum in line with the US Common Core standards, while the High School will offer the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme. Students will graduate with both a certified American High School Diploma and the IB Diploma. “We believe the IB programme is a gold standard holistic approach to learning that promotes wider thinking and opens many
ASHK Media Center
doors for students beyond High School” says Jalsevac. The school’s inquiry-based learning method requires students to develop their research skills by utilizing numerous sources of information covering a wide range of topics. ASHK students will also receive daily Putonghua lessons, and depending on their abilities, have a choice of learning to write using traditional or simplified characters. Extracurricular activities will also form a strategic part of school life with faculty and experienced personnel supervising sports, arts, clubs, leadership activities and community service work. Jalsevac says extracurricular activities give students the chance to explore different areas while developing their talents and passions as well as their co-operation and communication skills. ASHK’s sponsoring body, Esol Education, has a 40-year record of providing high quality education to thousands of students on three continents. Currently, Esol serves more than 11,000 students at nine international schools. Like its sister schools within the Esol Education family of ten top-tier international schools, ASHK will benefit from the Esol network, including international accreditation from leading bodies, university recognition, a global alumni and professional, fully-qualified teachers.
CASE STUDY
Sound Notes, Brushstrokes The arts give creativity free rein at the German Swiss International School, writes Vickie Chan
T
hough many parents in Hong Kong place a strong emphasis on academic subjects, the German Swiss International School (GSIS) also offers a solid education in both art and music for students of all skill levels. Head of art (English Stream), Nicola Culican, who is also a practising artist, knows only too well that students need extra support if they are to pursue creative activities. “Art is actually an academic subject and one of the biggest industries in the world,” Culi-
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can says. “Our students reach a high level of skill, while developing the ability to think conceptually. It’s more than drawing and creating – it’s observing the world and responding to it. This kind of skill can enhance other subjects as well as the individual, because it’s personal.” According to Culican, students are allowed to opt out of creative subjects at both GCSE and International Baccalaureate (IB) level, and it’s easy for practical subjects to appear more important. But the skills of observing, analysing, understanding and interpreting fit the IB Learner Profile descriptors: these say students should be communicators, principled, open-minded, risk takers, balanced, reflective, caring, knowledgeable, inquirers and thinkers. Tanya Shah, a Year 13 IB art
student, says art has helped her develop and refine her ideas. “I’ve been forced to broaden my perspective and consider intentions much more closely. I’ve learned to think critically and engage in self-reflection,” she adds. Shah believes people often fail to realise how important creativity is. “It’s inherent in communication and problem-solving,” she says. When she was younger, Shah assumed that a good artist merely had to make something nice to look at. Today, she thanks her parents for supporting her in studying the subject, and her teachers for understanding how personal and individual it is. She has been accepted at Dartmouth College in the US to study liberal arts, where she is looking forward to further exploring interdisciplinary thinking, although she’ll always value the hours
she has spent in the art room with supportive friends and teachers. Hain Yoon is also studying IB art, although she plans to major in psychology at university. “Being exposed to a lot of artwork means that you look at things differently, especially when you start doing your own work,” she
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CASE STUDY
Photos: GSIS
says. Having tried painting, drawing, printmaking, photography and even installation art, Yoon sees a positive effect on her own perspectives, how she interprets things, and even her work ethic. One of the most important moments for her was selling her paintings at a charity
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exhibition. This was to raise funds for an arts and crafts programme for the HOPE Centre for Ethnic Minorities. “To me, creativity is the ability to tranform your thoughts and ideas into something real. I’ve learned conceptual thinking, practical knowledge and I
Creativity brings new, simpler solutions to demanding longwinded issues – it’s like a shortcut to solving problems HAIN YOON
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CASE STUDY
I’ve been forced to broaden my perspective … I’ve learned to think critically and engage in self-reflection TANYA SHAH
find hidden correlations and inconspicuous patterns between two seemingly unrelated subjects,” she says. “Creativity brings new, simpler solutions to demanding, long-winded issues – it’s like a shortcut to solving problems.” Yoon’s long-term plan is to bring together psychology and art in a potential art therapy career. Other art students at the
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school have gone on to study a wide range of art-related subjects. “We’ve had students go into architecture, advertising, photography, textiles and fine art; liberal arts is also popular,” Culican says, adding that more traditional professions are usually preferred to art, despite the wide range of opportunities open to art graduates. Meanwhile, the music programme at GSIS allows students to perform and develop their skills, as well as work together collaboratively through a range of extracurricular activities. Half of the students take part in the inclusive programmes, which are open to all skill levels.
Hain Yoon
Tanya Shah
With top-range facilities such as Roland MIDI keyboards, music technology suites and rehearsal and performance suites, the school can give students exposure to a range of forms, styles and functions of music, which includes teaching historical and cultural contexts. Students also get a chance to perform elsewhere, thanks to the school’s membership of the International Schools Choral Music Society, the International Concert Orchestra of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Schools Music and Speech Association.
nurture all our students’ potential. Music is a gift we cherish and cultivate in our students.” Like art, studying music is a journey of discovery and it provides good life lessons. “Music enhances teamwork, discipline and the ability to analyse. To sound good, all players have to work together harmoniously and commit to learning, practising and attending rehearsals.” For musician and Year 12 student, Roger Lau, music is inherently group-focused. “You’re always looking for ways to be involved and to give back to the school as a whole – that’s the philosophy of our programme,” he says.
Head of music (English stream), Canice Gleeson, says: “We recognise and
GSIS is unique in its stu-
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CASE STUDY
dent-led and student-run GSIS Music Ambassadors (GMA) programme. This has enabled Lau to develop his leadership skills, working on behind-the-scenes preparation. By running a series of lunchtime and evening performances throughout the year, students can perform solo and in groups, encouraging participation in different performance art disciplines. “It’s an exciting leadership opportunity for senior students who we invite to assist, mentor and collaborate in running productions,” says Gleeson. “It offers opportunities to exercise leadership and responsibility in a variety of ways catering to the needs of students.”
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Canice Gleeson (left) believes that music enhances teamwork, discipline and the ability to analyse.
Whether it’s choosing poster design themes, developing student-inspired initiatives such as busking for charities, or the shows themselves, Lau finds working with his peers innovative and satisfying. “The programme is a success, we enjoy our artistic freedom and the student body really buys into what we do. It’s a pleasure to lead and to learn, we each have our own unique abilities to offer ,” he says.
You’re always looking for ways to be involved and to give back to the school as a whole – that’s the philosophy of our programme ROGER LAU
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SPECIAL REPORT
Tech Revolution The explosion in information and communication technology is transforming every aspect of our lives, including classroom learning, writes Chris Davis
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SPECIAL REPORT
U
sing the virtual Lego-type game Minecraft to recreate the Greek philosopher Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” or the audio-visual equipment to reinterpret Shakespeare sonnets against a thoroughly modern Hong Kong backdrop might be considered out-of-the-box learning concepts, but these are only some of the ways technology is now being used in our classrooms. From organisational platforms to e-textbooks and digital games, and so many apps that even the most pluggedin educator or student would have difficulty processing and utilising them all, information and communication technology (ICT) is transforming the way students and teachers interact and access information. Because students are growing up with technology entwined in every part of their lives, Dr Bernard Bull, assistant vice-president of academics and associate professor of education at Concordia University, Wisconsin, says there is a strong argument for blending tradi-
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Even for students who are not sure what they want to do with their lives, blended learning can open new pathways where they engage their particular passions and leverage the connected network of resources BERNARD BULL
tional learning with the benefits that technology offers. “Blended learning can enhance experiential learning, fostering project-based and inquiry-based pedagogies in ways that traditional teaching is unable to deliver,” he said at the eighth annual 21st Century Learning Conference held in Hong Kong.
tips and peer review concepts into her English class. “Even for students who are not sure what they want to do with their lives, blended learning can open new pathways where they engage their particular passions and leverage the connected network of resources,” suggests Bull.
Bull gave the example of a young US student with a passion for writing who did not receive much extra support from her English teacher who was too busy to assist. Undeterred, the aspiring author began searching the internet for like-minded students. Eventually, a collaboration with other students with a passion for writing produced a Google “hang out” where they helped each other and published authors’ reviews of their work. Such was the success and notable improvement in the aspiring author’s work, her class teacher integrated the online
Hong Kong schools are taking advantage of the potential that technology in the classroom offer. According to the first assessment of digital skills by OECD PISA, (the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s Programme for International Student Assessment), Hong Kong students are among the top performers along with Canada, Japan, Korea, Shanghai, and Singapore. However, Andreas Schleicher, OECD director for the directorate of education and skills, says school systems need to find more effective ways to inte-
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SPECIAL REPORT
Panel discussion at the 21st Century Learning Conference
grate technology into teaching and learning to provide educators with learning environments that support 21st century pedagogies, and provide children with the skills they need to succeed in tomorrow’s world. Separately, fellow keynote speaker at the conference, Michael Carr-Gregg, one of Australia’s highest profile child psychologists, outlined how technology can be used to help students cope with stress and improve their well-being. Carr-Gregg believes that the risks of the online environment can be managed and that technologies can be deployed to improve the mental health and well-being of young people. “From concerns over body image, especially for adoles-
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cent females, to what if I do poorly in exams, to what will my future be like, the evidence isn’t good,” says CarrGregg. While not suggesting that technology can replace professional counselling when needed, he says that technology, in the form of smartphone apps, web-based programmes and wearable devices has been found to be an effective way of appealing to young people because these options provide a confidential and personalised form of assistance. For instance, apps that monitor sleep patterns provide dietary advice and mental and physical well-being information which can help young people to self-identify and boost their esteem. “After
all, healthy students with inquiring minds are going to feel better about themselves, perform better in the classroom, be less disruptive and be happier members of society,” Carr-Gregg says. Although some question the digital push and believe there is no replacement for the well-qualified teacher, plenty of educators, parents and students believe that technology integrated into the learning environment not only provides benefits, it is also a necessity. Graeme Deuchars, founder and director of 21st Century Learning International, which helps educators and schools develop best practice, points out how the use of technology in Hong Kong schools is widely supported by parents.
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“Firstly, there is the available funding, especially in international schools. But equally important, many parents are working in professions where they see the vital role that technology plays today, and even more so in the future,” says Deuchars. To succeed in a high-tech environment, according to the Partnership for 21st Century Learning, a coalition of the US business community, education leaders and policymakers, students must be equipped with a range of functional and critical thinking skills related to information, media and technology. The partnership believes that collaborating on technology projects encourages students to become self-directed learners and builds leadership, responsibility, as well as social and cultural awareness.
tion technology. “There is a general consensus that ITE4 will enable students to develop self-directed learning; enhance their problem-solving, collaboration and computational thinking skills; encourage their creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship; and nurture them as ethical IT users, so as to achieve the goal of pursuing whole-person development and life-long learning,” Ng said at the ITE4 public consultation. This sentiment is shared by
Hong Kong International School (HKIS). Working on the principle that any information technology project should begin with the prime question “how will this improve learning?” Dana Watts, HKIS high school technology coach, says the use of technology is not just about using computers. It also involves using the full range of information technology as part of the curriculum. For example, Minecraft is used to teach the impact of socio-economic decisions. “Because Minecraft is not
Many parents are working in professions where they see the vital role that technology plays today, and even more so in the future GRAEME DEUCHARS
As the Education Bureau launches the Fourth Strategy on Information Technology in Education (ITE4), Hong Kong Secretary for Education, Eddie Ng Hak-kim, has spoken on several occasions about the importance and far-reaching implications of unleashing the potential of student learning through the proper use of informa-
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Students see how technology boosts their abilities to express themselves DANA WATTS
story-based, everything that happens requires a decision on the player’s part. How well-thought-out those decisions are will affect what happens next. This is great motivation for critical thinking and problem-solving,” she says. Different from most games in which players are passengers, advancing through levels by solving programmed outcomes, Minecraft allows a player to make a decision to create a world, characters or buildings and to manage the virtual environment. Watts explains how one of her students used Minecraft to make comparisons between Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave”, and the movie The Truman Show, starring Jim Carrey. “It was a brilliant piece of work,” notes Watts, a workshop presenter at the 21st Century Learning Conference. “Students see how technology boosts their abilities to express themselves
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and provides motivation for critical thinking and problem-solving while helping them become better communicators.” She also cites the example of students who may be introverted, or who may not fully benefit from traditional teaching and learning methods. “We have found that students excel when they have more choices when it comes to learning, which makes it a very exciting time to be a teacher,” says Watts. She says assigning her students a PechaKucha 20x20 “what would you like to see improved at school” project is another good example of using technology to inspire
innovation and creative thinking. PechaKucha 20x20 is a presentation format where 20 images are shown each for 20 seconds, accompanied by an explanation. “It can move students outside their learning comfort zone, which helps them to develop the capacity to reflect, reason, and draw conclusions based on their own or collaborative research and insights,” says Watts, who adds that similar skills were evident when HKIS students used technology to set Shakespeare’s 16th century sonnets in the modern metropolis of Hong Kong. As many Hong Kong schools rush to bring coding into
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the classroom, Brian Smith, an ICT facilitator at HKIS, says it’s not just learning to code that is important, but also coding to learn. During a workshop, Smith demonstrated Scratch, an MIT project specifically designed for children aged 8 to 16, and Makey Makey, which can be used to develop animations, interactive stories, and games through drag-and-drop code blocks. “No one knows what their jobs will look like in 10 or 15 years’ time, so teaching coding should be like learning to read and write. Students learn so that they can continue to learn and innovate, to create new ideas and knowledge,” says Smith. Believing that it is never too early to introduce technology into the classroom, Lisa Gado, ICT educational specialist at Delia School of Canada, says small children can use a mouse to help develop fine motor skills. “We should dispel the myth that technol-
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ogy is not for early childhood students,” says Gado, who was also speaking at the conference. During the four-day event, more than 520 participants from 139 schools and organisations representing 37 countries, including teachers from Hong Kong’s international, direct subsidy and local schools, heard keynote presentations and attended nearly 100 workshops. For technically-focused Hong Kong schools such as the Baptist Rainbow Primary and Lee
Kau Yan Memorial Schools, 3D printing in education is no longer a novel idea. Having joined a pioneering programme with 3D software firm Makers Empire and 3D printing solution provider DTSL, students can explore the possibilities of 3D modelling using a purpose-designed app. The schools say that even at an early age exposure to such learning is crucial for students because this kind of design, modelling, and manufacturing will be fundamental to the industries of tomorrow.
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Tools Not Toys How to make technology useful in the classroom? Alasdair Ong and Simone Nielsen of Australian International School Hong Kong share their views
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echnology and its ever growing presence throughout society has been a powerful tool for countless jobs and industries. But as it becomes more widely available, will technology in the classroom be an asset for learning or an educational flop? With a strong philosophy based around play, how do iPads fit into our early childhood programme? Do they have a place at all? Are we doing our students a disservice by adding them or by not having them? These are some of the questions we, as early childhood educators, asked ourselves when we first embarked on this journey. They are questions we continue to ask ourselves every day as we monitor the impact of technology in early childhood settings. The role of technology in
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young children’s lives has, and will continue to be, a hotly debated topic. When discussions first began concerning the use of iPads in early childhood teaching, and specifically at Australian International School Hong Kong (AISHK), our first point of call was research. Interestingly, what we learned was that we are seeing a whole new world of play for young children where the boundaries between what is real and what is virtual are blurred. This is being referred to by experts as the “convergence of play”. Children may be playing with Lego building blocks, then reach for the iPad and go onto the Lego app. They are able to move seamlessly between the app and the physical world. Technology is becoming part of play. We know that making sense of the world for young children is a social process. Re-
search tells us that the best way to make use of iPads in early childhood classrooms is to focus on apps that allow our young students to collaborate and create together. For example, in groups students may use an app that allows them to take photographs of a caterpillar as it moves through its life cycle, and then add sentences to describe the changes they observe. This process allows many important skills to develop, such as problem-solving and negotiation. An iPad is best used as a tool for learning – another lens through which a child can explore ideas, or make meaning of the world around them. It was clear to us that if iPads were introduced as a tool to facilitate learning, the positive impact in a classroom would be substantial. With this in mind, in 2013 we trialled iPads in one of
our classrooms, with huge success, particularly in the area of literacy. Literacy is no longer about being able to read and write the printed word. In the 21st century, it is about being “communicatively competent”, whatever form this may take. As early childhood educators, it is our responsibility to ensure we
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Photo: MCT
provide many different tools for our students to communicate their interpretations of the world around them. After a proposal was successfully put to our parent association at the end of 2014, planning began on adding 34 iPads to our early childhood classrooms. This was done during the 2015 school year,
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thanks to the association’s support with a programme that has been aptly named “Tools Not Toys”. Before rolling out the programme, our early childhood teaching staff took the first term to learn together and share knowledge through processes such as “speed geeking”, where teaching staff share
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Photo: shutterstock
Children as young as two are becoming cognisant of, and remarkably proficient in, the use of technology in their thinking and the way they communicate and learn BRUCE SIMONS
what they know with small rotating groups for a maximum of five minutes. They found this a productive way to share ideas and examples of student work, and to forge links with the Australian curriculum and its delivery. AISHK’s new head of school, Bruce Simons, brings a recent Australian perspective to the ICT focus at our school, having been principal of a school in Australia for the past 16 years. “There
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is no question in my mind that by providing a tool to enhance rather than replace, successful teaching and learning processes are well upon us now,” Simons says. “Children as young as two are becoming cognisant of, and remarkably proficient in, the use of technology in their thinking and the way they communicate and learn.” Simons points to the proliferation of technology in everyday life as proof of the need for children to adapt.
“[Their proficiency with ICT] must, at the very least, keep pace with the capabilities and capacity of the technology boom, and our children and our teachers at AISHK are, and will increasingly be, well-equipped to respond to, adapt and lead that exciting paradigm.” Our teachers discuss and have control over the apps we choose to make use of as part of the iPad programme. The programme categorises
the apps into five main areas – creation, collaboration, literacy, maths, and skill building. The majority of our apps fall into the creation and collaboration groupings. We have collected data on how each class makes use of iPads, including the amount of time they are used, the apps utilised, and the way the students are grouped, as well as reflections highlighting what worked and what didn’t. The secondary division must also ask similar questions regarding the efficacy of technology in the classroom. Outside the classroom, the numbers speak for themselves. Statistics from a recent study conducted by the Pew Research Center indicate that (Con’t on page 34)
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Steps for a Tech-happy Family
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Facebook, Skype, WhatsApp, Snapchat and Instagram. All great for connecting with peers and keeping in touch with family. Many of us can’t imagine life without them. Just ensure your child understands the “digital footprint” we may leave online when posting photos or messages. Content often stays online long afterwards, sometimes even after the deactivation of social media accounts.
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Apparently, “sitting is the new smoking”. Whether or not it’s true, the perils of a sedentary lifestyle are much more prevalent with the excessive use of electronic devices. Consider establishing a “family digital contract” to monitor time spent “sitting” online.
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Look out for addictive behaviour. Signs noted by the American Psychiatric Association include ever-increasing amounts of time spent online, anxious or irritable behaviour when away from devices, and spending time on the internet while neglecting other areas of life such as work, school, relationships and offline leisure time.
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In this hi-tech world, cyber-bullying is an unfortunate reality, occurring most commonly among older children and teens. If you notice signs that your child might be suffering from cyber-bullying, such as anxiety, appearing more lonely or distressed, or a decline in school work, friendships or physical health, tell them you are worried and want to help. It’s key to try to stay tuned to their behaviour both online and offline and to keep them engaged with supportive family and friends.
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Particularly for younger children, try to locate the device they use in a shared or visible place with doors open and lights on. Not only is this better for their eyesight, you will also be aware of how much time your child spends online.
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Many gadgets aren’t ergonomically tailored for specific age groups. For children with smaller hands, explore the availability of special keyboards, trackballs or handles, if necessary.
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Try to establish age-appropriate and stimulation-free bedtime and sleep routines. Excessive use of electronic gadgets before bed can lead to sleep deprivation, and in turn, affect growth and development in children and adolescents.
Heads up! Encourage your child to occasionally look away from screens into the distance — this allows the eye muscles time to relax and prevents ocular discomfort, eye strain, dry eye, headaches, blurred or even double vision.
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When using devices at home, help your child arrange equipment to maintain correct posture. When at the computer, feet should be rested firmly on the floor, thighs well supported by the chair’s seat, and the neck relaxed and balanced. The top of the screen should be at eye level or slightly below, at about arm’s length, and straight in front of the eyes.
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Try to enjoy all that the tech world has to offer together – create a family WhatsApp group to keep in touch on the go, or maybe strike up a game like Words With Friends with your child now and then. Find out what they enjoy most about being online. Staying connected will help you keep up to date and create an open door for communication.
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over 90 per cent of teens are online daily, with over 20 per cent of those surveyed being online “almost constantly”. As teens adopt mobile technology as a means for communication and information retrieval, more scrutiny has been placed on technology in the classroom. Language attrition due to “internet slang” is a common argument against integrating technology into education. Internet slang is the rather loose term describing the variety of words and phrases which have become commonplace along with the usage of text and instant messaging and social networking. The slang includes acronyms – LOL indicating “laughing out loud”, graphical sprites (emoji), and other
colloquialisms which spread without borders or speed limits throughout the internet-connected world. Indeed, technology has already had a significant impact on modern language – the verb “to google” being an obvious example. Some experts have expressed concern that these new norms will diminish the child’s essential writing and communication skills, and inevitably affect their success in school and future careers. Other experts, however, instead suggest embracing the challenge rather than fearing it. Technology’s spread in everyday language also brings many benefits. Where once we would have picked up a thesaurus or dictionary to check a word, we now
Technology has already had a significant impact on modern language – the verb ‘to google’ being an obvious example
just use an app on our laptop, smartphone or computer. This allows students to be more creative with their writing and places the entire knowledge base of the internet at their fingertips. While useful tools and apps may aid in education and learning, multitasking – especially with many tools designed to be interactive and immersive – is being targeted as an issue of the digital age. When educating a child about the technology at their disposal, it is also important to teach them about using technology to their advantage instead of allowing it to become a distraction. Varied usage of laptops in classes encourages varied modes of interaction and learning. While some find it easy to hide behind a computer in order to communicate beyond the classroom, heavy emphasis is placed on skills required for them to express themselves verbally. School activities that have seen growth over the years at AISHK in-
clude speech competitions, spelling bees, Model United Nations conferences, and drama lessons. Imagination and expression go hand in hand with communication – therefore, bolstering verbal communication, as well as building writing skills, completes a well-rounded learning experience. Within sport, communication between teammates is core to a strong team, while in a debating club emphasis is placed on using the appropriate manner of speaking and writing in order to convey a message or idea clearly and persuasively. Any activity that can have an emphasis on presentation skills and self-confidence is encouraged at AISHK. As we move along this path together, we feel it’s important to be mindful that our responsibilities are collective and tripartite in nature. Parents, teachers and students all have a role to play when ensuring iPads are used as a successful learning tool.
Contributed by Australian International School Hong Kong
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SCHOOL VISIT
Trying and failing is good experience.‌ Letting them learn how to model, you are building inventors KATHY NUTTING
Photos: Gary Mak
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SCHOOL VISIT
Do It Yourself Fairchild Junior Academy believes giving children the chance to try things out forges creativity and critical thinking, writes Andrea Zavadszky
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ith all the talk about robots soon taking over the production processes presently carried out by humans, questions arise: what kinds of knowledge, skills and abilities will jobseekers need in future? What kind of experience will guarantee success when the babies of today grow up, and what should they be taught now? More than a few educators lose sleep over this problem, admitting that change and development is so fast today they simply don’t know how best to prepare their students for the future. The Canadian Fairchild Junior Academy of pre-school learning, recently launched in Hong Kong by the
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Fairchild Group, a Vancouver-based business conglomerate founded by Thomas Fung, has wrestled with this very problem.
learning”.
They concluded that it was most important to build children’s creativity, perseverance and critical thinking. Doing this will nurture a young generation of innovators, thinkers and lifelong learners who are flexible, and have the stamina and tenacity to face new problems and plan developments.
Teaching children aged six months to four years old, the school sees the answer in providing a wide range of age-appropriate experiences. It gives students opportunities to play and experience processes. They may make mistakes and fail and start again, but all the while they will be building up their knowledge and strengthening their perseverance through play.
Dave McMaster, head of school and Kathy Nutting, director of learning at Fairchild Junior Academy, who have more than 60 years of teaching experience between them, settled on the mission of “Cultivating curiosity, creativity and confidence with enquiry-based
“The children learn to love to learn. Great innovators don’t stop learning,” Nutting says.
For example, one-year-old children learn through their senses. Giving them the opportunity to hand-paint with condensed milk and food colouring enables them to feel, taste, touch, and see
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Fairchild Junior Academy’s 4,600-square feet of space in Tin Hau is purpose-built to help youngsters with their learning.
the colours mix and change. As a result, they become interested and engaged. They achieve harmony working with the delicate colours of their carefully prepared paintings. “Play, explore and invent – these are a child’s work,” Nutting says. “If you give children the opportunity to play when they are younger, they build creative and innovative things and will become thinkers. Trying and failing is good experience, they learn how to think critically and how to adjust. If you always tell them how to do it, you are building workers. Letting them learn how to model, you are building inventors.” The pre-school curriculum is guided by the British Columbia and Ontario Early Learning Framework of Canada and the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) of Britain. The teaching is based on
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the Reggio Emilia-inspired approach to learning with a self-guided curriculum based on the principles of respect, responsibility and community.
cialisation, emotional development, physical and fine motor development, large motor development, early literacy and numeracy, communication and language.
The key element is play, using the children’s natural curiosity to learn. Backed up by extensive research and volumes of studies, the education methods and activities arranged are all age-specific, purposefully leading children through different experiences and discoveries relevant to the learning objectives of that age bracket.
McMaster adds: “At Fairchild Junior Academy nothing happens just by chance, and even the furniture is designed to support learning. The purpose-built early-childhood education centre’s meticulous interior design objective is to bring nature inside to enhance natural play and enquiry.”
“Decades of research show the importance of play,” says Nutting, who has taught for more than 30 years in Canada, Shanghai and Hong Kong. “That is how children learn. They all have natural curiosity and know how to play; they are confident and capable learners.” The primary areas cover so-
At the entrance, for example, there is a stylised welcoming tree-house lit up with natural light pouring in from a round sky-window above. Here the children can pretend they are in a tree-top and have a look at the adults from an unusual angle. According to Nutting, it took a year to find the right place for the pre-school, which now
occupies a 4,600-square-foot space – the entire floor – with floor-to-ceiling windows looking on to Victoria Park. By the time they found the premises, she and McMaster were so clear about what they wanted that the furniture was already in storage and it took a mere three months to refurbish and move in. The furniture, supplied by Natural Pod, a Canadian company, is made of Canadian maple using soy-based glue and polished with natural beeswax. The wooden toys are coloured with a bright milk-based paint, and the company has tried to avoid using plastic wherever possible. Another important part of the Fairchild philosophy is “A smile on every face” – including children, care-givers and staff. Success is based on close co-operation with staff on
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The furniture of the school is made of Canadian maple using soy-based glue and polished with natural beeswax.
the one hand, and parents or care-givers on the other. Children under two must be accompanied by the care-givers, but adults are welcome to accompany children at a later stage as well. In the classrooms, information sheets are displayed giving data about the usefulness of toys and furniture, and how children can benefit from playing with them. Parents can also learn what expectations they should have for their children in different age groups. This may be especially beneficial for parents or care-givers with no parenting experience. “We explain what we are doing and why. On the wall, there are short profiles introducing the 10 members of staff, while next to the ‘light table’ and other toys we put up an explanation of how children can play with it and how they benefit,” Nutting says.
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The staff, who have accumulated experience of 130 years working with children, are undergoing rigorous training. They get together three to four times a week to learn about the pedagogical approach and form a shared mission.
(two- to three-year-olds) and pre-school (three- to fouryear-olds). For younger children, there are two teachers for every eight to nine students, while in the upper classes there are two teachers for a maximum of 12 and 18 students respectively.
“It is also a good way to build the team,” notes Nutting.
The academy is the first step in a longer-term plan to provide children with a throughtrain solution. A registration application is underway for a kindergarten in Sai Ying Pun, which will be the next step towards having a school with classes from primary to grade 12.
The team also has a five-week course with Julianne Wurm, author of a best-selling book on the Reggio Emilia approach to teaching, with a 30-minute private session at the end of the course where they can ask any questions. Best practice and benchmarking are ensured through partnerships with prestigious schools in Canada, such as York House in Vancouver and Bishop Strachan School in Toronto.
At Fairchild Junior Academy, nothing happens just by chance DAVE MCMASTER
“We have ambitious plans, but no timetable yet. We are focusing on the kids and programmes here,” says Nutting, who is fully aware of the importance of laying down solid foundations.
Teaching is in four groups infants, toddlers, transition
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SUBJECT CHOICES
Modern Classics
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here is a perception that if you want to go into business, you must study a business degree, that you need to study journalism to become a journalist, and that you should study a politics course if you want to be a politician. Those interested in law can’t seem to grasp the variety of routes into that profession. The recent drive concerning STEM subjects for girls, as well as business, communications or finance, are all well and good, but the classics and other associated “traditional” subjects need far more attention. Indeed, few realise the value of Greek, Latin, ancient literature, his-
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Photos: Shutterstock
An education in the humanities can be your passport to university, writes Caroline Drewett
tory, classical civilisation, and philosophy. Moreover, many are unaware of the importance placed on these subjects by top universities, and, increasingly, by leading employers.
seem to do so because they enjoy them, or because they are good at them. Very few realise that they are pursuing subjects that are desired by leading universities, as well as employers.
November 2015 saw the launch of the Being Human Festival in London, which was described as a “Festival of the Humanities”. At this level, most would argue that we must avoid seeing humanities in opposition to science. But this idea needs to begin at school, starting with a change of mindset by students and their parents. Too frequently, students are labelled either “scientific” or “arty”. Those who choose arts and humanities often
Many parents encourage their children to choose subjects that seemingly lead to an identifiable degree, and a clear job path. This reflects a poor understanding of the current job market and the evolving world of work. The advice usually comes from the previous generation of baby boomers, for whom the job market was totally different from today’s. The reality is that very few students will get a job that has direct relevance to their degree, let SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
SUBJECT CHOICES
Few realise the value of Greek, Latin ... classical civilisation, and philosophy, [and] many are unaware of the importance placed on these subjects by top universities
alone their A-levels. The vast majority of those who study history, for example, don’t become historians. Further, some of those who take classics or philosophy may end up doing related jobs, but the majority don’t. They go into fields such as finance, management, law, and recruitment. Very few stay in one career for their whole working life. In an environment where recruiters are less interested in your degree subject, even less your A-level grades, what matters is the quality of the individual they meet at interview. They are interested in the complete package. The Big Four graduate employers in Britain (PwC, EY, Deloitte, KPMG) no longer consider A-levels a reliable marker for the quality of candidates. Some even remove the university name from their selection criteria. Instead they have their own tests and systems to select candidates. These employers want “soft skills”, a flexibility of mind, excellence in communication, and the ability to adapt THURSDAY, MARCH 24, 2016
to the job at hand. They want graduates to quickly adapt to the world of work. It is here that traditional subjects trump all others in preparing candidates. Students looking to access the top universities and the top jobs must realise that traditional classical subjects and the humanities open far more doors than many are led to believe. CLASSICS CAN GET YOU INTO TOP UNIVERSITIES There is a clear difference between content and skills. Do universities really care whether you have studied the Odyssey or the Iliad, or what century your A-level module covered? No. They value the process you have undertaken, the academic journey and the training of the mind; a training entrenched in critical thinking, research, communication, and judgement. It is vital to acknowledge the indirect importance of the classical subjects. As London mayor Boris Johnson (a classics graduate) has said: “I’m hugely grateful to my
degree. The mere possession has been of no assistance at all – what’s invaluable has been the philosophy.” As a careful and critical thinker, and effective communicator, you will be able to work independently or within a team, and you will also be able to think imaginatively.
proved their academic performance when they began studying Latin and Greek. Understanding the meaning behind learning and widening their vocabulary helped to engage students, and as a result, they improved across the board in a number of subjects.
By studying Latin, which follows strict grammatical rules, you gain an understanding of the mechanics and structure of language that is streets ahead of any you will gain from the study of a modern tongue. Any language becomes easier for a child with a grounding in Latin. Proficiency in Latin can open up an array of job prospects. It helps create curious, intellectually rigorous students with a rich interior world, people who have the tools to see our world as it really is because they have encountered and imaginatively experienced a different, earlier world.
Top universities recognise this, as they want students with a sense of perspective and place. They are not looking for robots with résumés full of A-stars. British universities want candidates who will be able to contribute to the intellectual life of the institution in all aspects. Here, history and the classics also have an innate value distinct from “transferable skills”. When you combine the value of these subjects with the skills they enhance, they become powerful vehicles for success.
A recent study by Northumbria University showed that students with a history of truancy significantly im-
A university is a competitive place, and getting into Oxbridge and other leading universities of the Russell Group can be a challenge. But all recognise the role of the classics as “facilitating subjects”
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SUBJECT CHOICES
and excellent intellectual preparation. High grades in the ancient languages, for example, provide near-guaranteed access to elite universities. It is easier to get into Oxbridge to read the long-established classics courses, which require an ancient language A-level, than any other subject. Between 2012 and 2014, for the traditional classics at Oxford, 51 students were accepted from the state sector and 233 from fee-paying schools. There is nothing like such a high percentage of privately educated students on any other course. At around 45 per cent, classics applicants have a comparable chance of getting into Cambridge.
SECURING THE BEST JOBS OR SIMPLY GETTING A JOB? Distinguished history and classics alumni are to be found in a whole range of occupations. Landing jobs in politics, the civil service and the media is common. Others, in areas like business and finance, may surprise some. Students with this grounding know the importance of reaching objective judgements based upon
Any language becomes easier for a child with a grounding in Latin. Proficiency in Latin can open an array of job prospects
wide reading and an understanding of a multiplicity of conflicting sources. This is coupled with the ability to write clear, literate, synoptic, analytical accounts. These are surely vital qualities, not just for business, but for a wide range of careers. It might at first seem odd that students of ancient history rise to become captains of modern industry. But it is a demonstration of the enormous capabilities of classical and traditional subjects, of their flexibility, adaptability and versatility, and of the skills they teach and inculcate. Indeed, reflecting the employability of people with these degrees over the last three years, a perhaps surprising inclusion in the top 10 most employable has been historical and philosophica l studies graduates: nearly 90 per cent of them landed jobs or further studies within six months of finishing their degrees, better than t h o s e
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graduates who majored in subjects like physics and computer science. It is remarkable the extent to which history and classics graduates have risen to the very top of a diverse range of professions and to key positions. In attaining those heights, education must have played no mean part. A number of graduates of the classics have gone on to become the movers and shakers of modern-day Britain, demonstrating clearly that future skills can be taught through “traditional subjects�. It is no wonder that the likes of Oxford and Cambridge, founded on an education based around arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, music theory, grammar, logic and rhetoric, have survived the test of time, and use their emphasis on the traditional and classical subjects to remain successful in the modern world. In 2011, the Russell Group of research-intensive universities published guidance advising students to study traditional subjects at A-levels. And in 2012, there were 15,000 more entries for history and classical languages. Hongkongers looking to study at a prestigious university in the UK should take note.
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HIGHER EDUCATION
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HIGHER EDUCATION
Do What You Love Students should take note of what subjects they enjoy when choosing a programme, writes Simon Ho Shun-man
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o sustain the development of an innovative technology industry, the Hong Kong government recently increased funding for university students studying applied technology subjects. Moreover, some industry experts have also encouraged students to take applied science rather than basic science subjects. As an advocate for a liberal education which nurtures young people who are considerate, thoughtful, and caring, I have something to say about the above move. I believe undergraduate students should choose majors and other subjects based on
their own personal dreams, character, interests, and values. They should not make a choice simply because it is fashionable, or because it will make them wealthy, or because they will later be able to meet the manpower needs of a particular economic sector. Every year, many Form Six students and their parents seek my advice on how to choose a major at university. I believe that the aim of an undergraduate education is not vocational training. It’s not about absorbing hard knowledge to prepare for that first job, either. I believe a university education should give young people
hope, and change the way they think and live. It should guide them to find meaning in their lives, and set them on a path towards true happiness. Sadly, our society promotes “success” over “values”. Many research-intensive universities only think about how competitive they are in terms of admission scores, research achievements, graduate income, rankings, and resources. As a result, higher education is becoming increasingly commercial and utilitarian. Such a direction has consequences. It means that undergraduates become overly enthusiastic about disciplines that
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HIGHER EDUCATION
The aim of an undergraduate education is not vocational training. It’s not about absorbing hard knowledge to prepare for that first job
are practical, popular, and promise good job prospects, above all else. In other words, many students do not choose their majors based on their knowledge of the disciplines, their ideals, their interests, and their strengths. Some choose a major primarily to meet the expectations of their parents and their peers. Others prefer to take disciplines they think will prove less difficult. Nowadays, choosing a major is about drifting along, following the crowd, and probably settling on a business or law programme because that’s what most others do. It’s become an insincere process. Students no longer choose their courses independently, and few seem to consider whether the choice they make is actually a good fit for their talents. The local ecology of our ed-
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ucation system is somewhat unhealthy. In high school, most students are proud of choosing the science stream. Yet many top science students give up science and engineering, with the exception of medicine, when they enter university. Similarly, many students who were fond of arts subjects in high school opt for practical disciplines due to family pressure, and worries about securing that first job. Nevertheless, some local students with good academic results are courageous enough to buck the trend and choose the major they are most interested in. That subject may be history, sociology, or physics. But they are often teased by their family and peers about their choices, and this can shake their confidence and make them wonder whether they have made the right decision after all. This phenomenon is
not so common in the west, where students are encouraged to pursue their dreams. Choosing a more vocational degree might not even help to get a job. A recent Hang Seng Management College employer survey has revealed that undergraduate majors and academic performance are not the most important factors in the recruitment of fresh graduates in the business sector. When recruiting staff, many businesses prefer applicants with transferable core competencies, such as languages, communication skills, problem-solving abilities, teamwork, and leadership potential. Undergraduate education should be a platform for nurturing these core competencies. University is a place to cultivate character and a sense of responsibility, as it’s common for graduates to enter professions that are unre-
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HIGHER EDUCATION
Simon Ho Shun-man is president of Hang Seng Management College
lated to their undergraduate majors. To achieve the ideals of a liberal arts education, universities in North America do not include practical or professional disciplines such as law and medicine on their undergraduate curricula. They only offer them as postgraduate courses. Furthermore, many graduate law and business schools welcome applications from graduates in any discipline. Also, many MBA programmes do not encourage BBA graduates to apply. Therefore, undergraduates should choose their majors according to their genuine interests, and have a broader-based perspective. After their first degree, they can still apply to study for an MBA, accountancy, or law, if they really want to. But if an undergraduate rushes to get into a professional pro-
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Photo: Nora Tam
gramme, and gives up on a major in the humanities which is his or her favourite subject, it will be much harder to do a master’s degree in the arts and humanities later. When choosing a major, or even a job, students should ask themselves if they have a passion for it. They should ask themselves if they love that major, and why. They should also ask what their choice of major will bring to
the industry, our society and the world. Nowadays, it is not too difficult for a degree graduate to get a job. So if your priority in selecting a major is to pursue wealth and fame, instead of following your interests and values, I would advise you to reconsider. If you follow this path, there is a good chance you will not get what you expect, and you will end up disappointed. Even if you get what you want in terms of
job position and income, you might not be fulfilled, and you might not find it meaningful. One day, you might regret not choosing your favourite major, or the career you always wanted. We should encourage students to pursue a path of learning along which they can find joy and meaning. With passion and a thirst for knowledge, a student is already half-way along the road to success.
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OVERSEAS
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SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
OVERSEAS
All Aboard Britain’s renowned boarding schools are expensive to attend, but scholarships and bursaries can make them affordable, writes Caroline Drewett
G
iven that Britain boasts some of the world’s most famous schools, it’s little wonder that there are plenty of overseas families who have their sights set on sending their children to a prestigious British school. Boarding schools offer a wealth of experiences in both learning and living, which are unique, but sending your child to a full-time boarding school isn’t an easy decision. They will need to adjust to a new environment, and although the rewards of gaining independence from a young age will no doubt help your child in the future, the financial burden can put a lot of pressure on a family. With average annual fee increases in the region of 5 to 6 per cent in recent years, private school fees in Britain are arguably at one of their least
affordable points in history. Many schools are freezing fees as middle-class parents struggle to pay, but some of the top names in education remain expensive. Charterhouse, for example, charges £35,529 a year, and Tonbridge School £36,288 a year for a full boarding experience. However, a number of top schools are more within reach than a first glance at their website suggests. Indeed, sending your child to such an institution may be more financially accessible than you think. There are a vast range of scholarships and bursaries on offer, and sometimes all that is required is careful research and a willingness to ask.
Sending your child to such an institution may be more financially accessible than you think
Having been a scholar myself at Talbot Heath School, I understand the benefits that a dual scholarship-bursary programme can offer. So what is the difference be-
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OVERSEAS
tween a scholarship and a bursary? Put simply, scholarships are for those who excel academically, musically, or in their chosen sport. Headmasters want these students to attend their school, regardless of parental wealth, so are open for anyone to apply, even if the family is well off. Bursaries are given to students from low-income families, who would otherwise not be able to afford to send their child to the school. Significantly, the two are often not mutually exclusive. I attended my school on a combination of both. Having only received a 50 per cent scholarship, the remainder came from a bursary, granted by the school due to my
low-income situation. The 2015 Independent Schools Council (ISC) Annual Census revealed that 33 per cent of pupils in ISC schools (167,798 pupils in total) received some sort of assistance with fees, and that four out of five of those received assistance direct from the school rather than from a local council. There are of course many other school out there that do not fall into these statistics but continue to offer their own scholarship programme. HOW THE PROGRAMMES BENEFIT THE SCHOOL AND THE INDIVIDUAL Many schools are increas-
ingly seeing the benefits of offering such opportunities. Those that don’t engage with scholarships risk the chance that they may be leap-frogged by those wanting to attract excellence or broaden their communities. The inclusive but highly distinctive life of these schools can be significantly enhanced by accepting candidates who encompass a range of different skills and come from a wide variety of backgrounds. Of course, the acceptance of an intellectually gifted student can raise the aspirations of others in their class, creating a more dynamic and lively academic envi-
ronment. Musicians proficient beyond their years might give the orchestra an edge and catapult performances and productions to a new level, while the inclusion of a junior international on the sports field has obvious benefits for all involved. Leading schools in the UK recognise the benefits to the wider school community of accepting scholarship and bursary students, and many offer options to suit all potential candidates, from those applying within the UK, to those applying from abroad. It is vital to look up each school’s own requirements, but you are also at increasing
racurricular prowess or income?
Is the process about intellect, ext Academic
Given the focus that some of these schools place on what goes on in the classroom, there will always be options for those who are academically gifted to gain scholarships. For many schools, such as Westminster, these are awarded on a strictly competitive basis and parental income is not taken into account. Clearly, competition can be fierce, and you need to check the exam process and deadlines for each individual school as they will all be different.
bursaries of up to 100 per cent of fees are available alongside academic, music, art and sporting scholarships. Indeed, much of independent school thinking is towards subsidising financially strapped families rather than simply rewarding academically gifted ones. With the Charity Commission insisting that independent schools do more to justify their charitable status, there is an increasing chance of getting some kind of assistance than in previous years. Non-academic
Income In certain cases, students can receive up to 100 per cent off fees through various means-tested bursaries and scholarships. For example, at Dulwich College, parents qualify for financial assistance if their combined income is below £60,000, while at Eton the figure is £80,000. There is a vast range of other, perhaps less well-known, schools that offer significant financial assistance. At Ashville College, Harrogate, for example, where annual fees for full boarding stand at £25,150, means-tested
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Furthermore, having concentrated on academic performance for so long, schools are now recognising the value of offering a broad spectrum of awards. Many realise that having a renowned sports or arts department is a terrific marketing asset, and it is worth researching which sport a particular school specialises in. A surprisingly large number, for example, offer swimming scholarships such as Plymouth College, Kelly College (Devon), Millfield School (Somerset) and St Felix School (Suffolk).
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OVERSEAS
Away from the classroom, the UK boasts a wealth of exciting attractions for students keen to explore what it has to offer.
Caroline Drewett
If you don’t get a bursary or similar deal when your child is 11 or 12, try again when they’re 14 or 15
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liberty to ask about opportunities and discounts, especially if you are in a position to know what a rival school is offering, so that you can ask if it can be matched. Sometimes you might not be aware that a particular scholarship even exists until you speak to the admissions tutor. Schools belonging to the Anglo Schools International Services group, for example, have options for a wide range of circumstances; for character development; where potential for contributing to the school and society is evident; where leadership potential has been exercised; for particular contributions to music, art, drama and sport. Perhaps your child fits into the category for an all rounder scholarship, or even something subject-specific like a science scholarship.
PRACTICALITIES In terms of practicalities, applications are normally open to children who will be aged 11, 13 or 16 on or before September 1 in the academic year in which they wish to commence schooling in Britain. These are the standard entry points in the UK curriculum. If you don’t get a bursary or similar deal when your child is 11 or 12, try again when they’re 14 or 15. Competition for sixth-form scholarships sometimes isn’t as fierce as in the younger age range, although not all schools offer them. The secret, at all ages, is to apply at least a year before the proposed entry date. Admissions procedures differ slightly from school to school. Make absolutely sure that
you’re acquainted with the school’s deadlines for various stages of the application process. These are usually set in stone, so don’t miss them. A BRIGHT FUTURE The cost of a UK boarding education may initially appear high, but when you take into account the quality of the teaching, the small classes, the high level of care and supervision, the good accommodation and food, the excellent academic and sports facilities, and the numerous extracurricular activities, it represents a very cost-effective package, especially if you are willing to explore the world of scholarships and bursaries outside Hong Kong.
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CURRICULUM
Inquiring Minds Children benefit from inquiry-based learning, rather than contentbased learning, write Bipasha Minocha and Leanne Sunarya
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hildren are natural-born scientists with an innate desire to explore, form hypotheses, experiment, observe, and develop conclusions. Research and data prove that children’s learning through their senses has a strong connection to thinking and understanding in science and discovery. We see it in the way an infant drops his or her toy from a high chair to find out how it falls to the floor, or pokes clay to see how the material responds to the touch. With older children, we see a disposition to causal thinking, where they experiment with different materials to either support or negate their hypotheses. A few decades ago, the idea that toddlers think like scientists would have been considered preposterous. Jean Piaget, the pioneer of cognitive thinking, believed that children are illogical, irrational, and “pre-causal”, and this idea informed curriculum design for many years. But it has been proved wrong by scientific evidence which
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shows children are competent, coherent, structured, and intentional in their approach.
live in requires new thinking about what constitutes effective and engaging teaching and learning.”
Children are also capable of abstract thinking and causal representations. This brings us to the question of whether the old pedagogical approach of content﹣ and skills-based teaching is indeed in alignment with the way children think and learn. Does it really encourage the scientific thinking skills that children are born with, or does it systematically diminish them during the child’s educational journey in pre-school and beyond? It also leads us to reflect on the “knowledge society” we live in today, where the meaning of “knowing” has shifted from being able to remember and repeat information, to being able to find and use it.
The 21st-century skills are a set of abilities and dispositions that students need to develop in order to succeed in the information age. These include learning, literacy, and life skills that encompass critical and creative thinking, collaboration, communication, flexibility, initiative, leadership, information, and technical literacy.
According to Dr Sharon Friesen, one of Canada’s most influential educators, “The model of education typical of the 20th century was effective for that era of human history, but the ‘knowledge society’ we now
Inquiry-based thinking and learning is an approach that meaningfully embraces the context of learning in the modern world, and derives from research about the way children think. It was developed during the discovery learning movement of the 1960s in response to traditional forms of instruction that required learners to memorise information. It is closely connected with the natural way in which children learn. The traditional approach to
learning was limited in its approach and effectiveness in developing the new age skills and competencies, primarily because it emphasised facts and the acquisition of facts. The focus of learning was therefore on the teacher, who transmitted these facts, and the emphasis was on the “right answer”. In an inquiry-based model, the focus is on the learner and his or her interaction with peers, adults, the environment, and the overall context of learning. The teacher is a facilitator who offers opportunities and “provocations” for students to pose questions, undertake projects, and find answers and solutions based on data and experimentation. For example, a teacher might talk to a group of children about dinosaurs. She will read them books, do different kinds of arts and crafts to create little dinosaurs, and even bake dinosaur cookies. This is a very traditional thematic approach to learning. In an inquiry-based model, responding to the children’s interest in dinosaurs, the
SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
CURRICULUM
Contributed by Bipasha Minocha and Leanne Sunarya from EtonHouse International Group
teacher will present talking points on species that are extinct, dinosaurs being one of them. She will introduce hypotheses on the cause of extinction and the processes of evolution, which will trigger an investigative process involving data gathering, collaboration with parents and experts on the subject, community resources, and the synthesis of evidence to support or refine the group’s thinking, or even to generate new inferences on the evolution of species. Such higher-order thinking spurs creativity, an understanding of causal relationships, analytical skills, statistical and scientific interpretations. It also promotes collaboration, and communication, at a more complex level as compared to a traditional thematic
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learning environment. Over the years, inquiry-based pedagogy has inspired educational philosophies around the world. The Reggio Emilia approach in Italy, which has over 30 international networks in different parts of the world, draws its pedagogy from the inquiry-based constructivist type of thinking that has gained ground in the last five decades. The International Baccalaureate (IB) programme that has become immensely popular all over the world among both local and private schools is also based on an understanding that inquiry based thinking and learning is the most powerful way in which children learn. The IB approach, which started in 1968, has grown
from seven schools in 1971 to more than 4,000 schools in 2014. Increasingly, institutes of higher education are admitting candidates who have graduated from schools that subscribe to inquiry-based learning models. They see students who are resilient, knowledgeable, and open-minded critical thinkers. These students also have a higher propensity to tackle issues, and are more creative in their ability to solve problems. This approach to teaching and learning is powerful, but is also challenging for students and educators. It’s an approach that requires all the stakeholders (the students, the educators, and the family) to remain fully invested and committed to the process of learning. It is a social endeavour, and is a true
testament to the collaboration of a social network, both in the school and at home, as the two must be aligned to realise learning goals. This can be challenging for students, who may want to focus on a more one-dimensional approach to learning and assessment. But if education is indeed a reflection of life and not a preparation for it, then an inquiry-based approach to education is what families should be choosing to give their children as a strong foundation in the early years of education. To quote American psychologist Jerome Bruner: “We call it ‘education’, the cultivation of ways of going from the past and the present into the possible”.
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OPINION
Falling Short Why is there a dearth of affordable English-medium school places in Hong Kong? Ruth Benny discusses
L
et’s consider why the demand for E ng l ish-med iu m schools has risen so dramatically in recent years, and look at who is taking the places.
with the number of applicants steadily increasing. But why are these families sometimes making huge financial sacrifices to keep their children out of the free local schools?
The demand has certainly been rising. This is seen most clearly in the lower primary years, where competition for admission is fierce. The situation has resulted in parents having to plan every step of their child’s education, from playgroup to kindergarten to primary.
Let’s consider the difference between local schools and schools adopting non-local curricula. (We’ll call the latter “international schools”, for the sake of simplicity.) The Hong Kong curriculum offered in local schools focuses heavily on low-order thinking skills, like memorising facts and regurgitating them for exams. There is little or no differentiation to cater for different abilities and levels, and the pressure to succeed is huge, since children are often ranked against each other.
Hong Kong has expatriates and non-Chinese families looking for entry to such schools, but the number has been relatively static. However, middle-class Hong Kong Chinese families, who would previously have used the local school system, form the most noticeable group,
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Many parents feel this philosophy is outdated. Though
The government has recognised the increasing demand for places at international schools, but it has not accurately identified the source of the demand
they themselves are a product of such a system, they want something different for their children. In contrast, international school curricula focus on high-order thinking skills, and the application of skills to projects and life. Differentiation and inclusion are expected, and children are treated as individuals. Many believe this is a more appropriate form of
education for the 21st century. The government has recognised the increasing demand for places at international schools, but it has not accurately identified the source of the demand. When new and existing schools are granted sites at a low rent, 85 per cent of students enrolled must possess foreign passports.
SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
OPINION
Photo: David Wong
After accepting mainland Chinese who hold foreign passports (PRC passports don’t count as foreign), the remainder of this percentage needs to be made up of expatriates. This stipulation comes at a time when the demand from local families is growing, which makes the pressure to secure places tougher than ever. For expatriates, the rising cost of education is exacerbated by the fact that companies are reducing financial incentives and packages for employees relocating to Hong Kong. It makes the cost of schooling a consideration that intrudes on job choices. If we reach the point where too few expatriate families can afford the fees for international schools, the schools
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will not be able to fulfil their commitment to the Education Bureau. So will we see a drop in prices? Sadly, this seems very unlikely. The other options are to reduce the percentage of foreign passport holders the international schools must accept, or review the Hong Kong curricula to make free schools more appealing. English Schools Foundation (ESF) schools used to bridge the gap between local and international schools in terms of cost, but we are still waiting to hear what the fees for children born in 2011 or later will be when they start primary classes later this year. After the removal of the government subvention of HK$283 million, it’s expected that fees will be slightly below HK$100,000 per year,
compared to HK$78,700 for primary school students in this academic year. This is significantly cheaper than many non-ESF schools, a handful of which can cost over HK$200,000 per year. As the demand for places is so competitive, international schools are raising fees and introducing levies, debentures and premiums as options for parents who can afford them.
Ruth Benny is head girl of Topschools Hong Kong. A former teacher and teacher-trainer, she has spent more than 20 years working in education in Hong Kong.
Still, there is a bright spot in all this. International schools can have places available at secondary level, and many offer fee remission programmes and scholarships. So if you can navigate your child through primary school, the rest should be easier.
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EVENT
Fun With Numbers The DragonMath competition encourages learning by making maths fun, writes Andrea Zavadszky
A
lthough it doesn’t sound possible, maths competitions can be a lot of fun. That becomes obvious as soon as you arrive at the Hong Kong International School (HKIS), where the inter-school DragonMath competition takes place. The competition is open to middle-school students, and they all seem to be having a great time. The students kneel and stand around tables as there are no chairs, and they talk – or, more accurately, scream to be heard above the accompaniment of loud pop music. But although they are excited and enthusiastic, they are still working hard. Their faces reveal concentration and focus, and a determination to win. The DragonMath competition was brought to HKIS 19 years ago by a teacher from New Zealand. “It’s a compe-
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tition consisting of cooperative problem-solving mixed with athletic endeavour,” says Jordan Davis, the HKIS maths teacher who organised this year’s event. Students from international schools and ESF schools are the main participants, and schools alternate as hosts. The competition is usually held in a school gym. Schools can send two teams of Grade 7 students and two teams of Grade 8 students. The winning school is awarded a trophy, while the top groups in each grade, along with the two runners-up, get medals to take home. This year, 17 schools participated in the event held in March. The 45-minute competition contained 36 questions. “It’s maths at top speed,” says Greg Ladner, associate principal, middle school, at HKIS. “The questions are the same for both groups, and come from areas everyone would
have studied. They are like quiz questions. They need a problem-solving approach, and the students need to apply basic skills.” The size of the competition varies, depending on the size of each school gym. This time, there were 68 tables of four students each. The teachers sat at the end of the room to give out the questions. One student from each table was the designated runner, and dashed to the front to pick up a question, running back to the table as fast as possible. As soon as the team had an answer, the runner sped back to the teacher, winning a point if the answer was correct. Otherwise, the runner could get a new question, or return to the team to try to figure out the right answer. The questions are prepared by the host school. “You need to have questions which
attract students’ interest; questions that make them want to find the solution. Some questions have words, others are just diagrams,” Ladner says. “We have a lot of questions, because last year, one of the teams solved all the questions, and then just sat there.” A typical question would be, “My parrot Talko is 31 years and 31 months and 31 weeks and 31 days old. How old will he be on his next birthday?” Or, “Marcy buys hot dog buns in packs of 2 and 7. What’s the largest total number of buns that Marcy can’t buy in a single shopping trip?” The runners were fast, and worked so hard they got red in the face. But strategy, as well as speed, plays a part, as not every question has to be answered. To clinch the top spot, a team just has to answer the most questions correctly. Teams must decide whether to spend time on a
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EVENT
difficult question, or give up and get a new one.
was the first ESF school to host the competition.
“They are racing against time. Sometimes they can’t judge the difficulty of the questions [and waste time on it], sometimes they arrive at several different answers, and have to decide which one to choose,” says Shobha Sanker, secondary school mathematics teacher at Renaissance College, which
Sanker, who runs the Renaissance College maths club, thinks it’s important to create a problem-solving environment to ensure competitions aren’t boring. “Maths competitions should be team-based and activities-based. Sometimes I think they should be connected with art and history,”
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she says. In fact, she is thinking of organising activities for her students which would broaden their experience in this way. DragonMath promotes teamwork and collaboration, and brings students closer together. Participants learn to assess timing issues, and work out strategies. Experience is a big help when it comes to building strategies,
and some of the students had an advantage because they participated last year. Andrew Lee and Jiwon Lee, two students from the winning teams, both come from families with a maths background, and they are passionate about the subject. Jiwon’s favourite area is algebra, and she enjoys working with numbers and exploring maths topics. Jiwon
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wants to be a maths teacher or a mathematician, while Andrew wants to be an engineer. They participate in many competitions, and enjoy doing so. “In February, Jiwon won first place in a competition in Vietnam,” Andrew says. “Yesterday, we participated in the intra-school DragonMath competition, and today in the inter-school version. There is a test coming up for a competition in Washington in May. If you are curious about maths when you are young, it will reflect positively on your results later.” According to Davis, it is easy to find material to practise problem solving. “There are
many books to help you and one great online resource is The Art of Problem Solving. For DragonMath, New Zealand’s Mathex competition resources will provide many practice questions. The American Mathematics Competition produces terrific resources, as does an organisation called MathCounts,” Davis says. The top students don’t become winners just because they are clever. They spend long hours working at it. At HKIS, students work in teams up to three times a week after school on projects that promote competitive mathematics and hone problem-solving skills. HKIS has a strong problem-solv-
They are racing against time. Sometimes they can’t judge the difficulty of the questions [and waste time on it] SHOBHA SANKER
ing culture and hosts an in-house DragonMath competition every year to help promote maths skills. “It would be wonderful if we had a series of smaller ‘chapter competitions’, where the winners could advance to a final overall Hong Kong DragonMath champion-
ship,” says Davis, noting that a larger space would enable a much bigger competition. If there were such a citywide championship, perhaps more students would discover the fun side of mathematics- and get hooked on a worthwhile way of spending their time.