FLASS students take part in volunteer teaching programme in Shaoshan, Hunan
May Chan Hio-cheng, a mathematics major, learns how to transplant rice seedlings in the two-week volunteer teaching programme in Shaoshan.
Between 28 May and 10 June 2023, 20 EdUHK students spent two weeks volunteering as teaching assistants at schools in China Resources Hope Town, located in Shaoshan, Hunan. On top of assisting local teachers, EdUHK students took part in local farm work during the teaching experience programme.
The teaching experience programme included talks by famous speakers about various national developments, such as a talk on aerospace science and the nation’s endeavours in space exploration by Mr Pan Houren (gentleman in the centre), researcher of the National Space Science Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and director of the Chinese Society of Space Science.
Three students from FLASS participate in the teaching experience programme: Choy Tak-lai (third from left) and Teresa Chan Hoi-yan (third from right) from the Department of Science and Environmental Studies, and May Chan Hio-cheng (far right) from the Department of Mathematics and Information Technology.
China Resources Hope Town is located in Shaoshan, in the Hunan province.
Between 28 May and 10 June 2023, 20 EdUHK students went to China Resources Hope Town in Shaoshan of the Hunan province to provide volunteer teaching assistance at local town schools. Apart from providing teaching assistance, they participated in cultural exchange activities and seminars, worked in paddy fields, and visited local enterprises to understand the results brought about by the course of rural revitalisation and national development.
Three of the 20 students came from FLASS. They are Choy Tak-lai and Teresa Chan Hoi-yan from the Department of Science and Environmental Studies, and May Chan Hio-cheng from the Department of Mathematics and Information Technology. The 20 students from EdUHK were divided into two groups, with 14 assigned to help in the China Resources Hope Primary School and the remaining six assisting in the China Resources Hope Kindergarten.
The two-week volunteer teaching programme was organised by China Resources Group and supported by China Resources Enterprise and the Hong Kong Federation of Education Workers (HKFEW). A sending-off ceremony was held on the EdUHK campus on 25 May. In a pre-recorded address, Professor John Lee Chi-Kin, the then Vice President (Academic) and Provost and now President of the University, encouraged the participating students to seize this invaluable opportunity to observe the teaching environment of and the approach taken by mainland Chinese schools. Such experiences can help broaden their horizons, and lay a solid foundation for their future career in education.
Now a final-year student of the Bachelor of Education (Honours) (Secondary) in Mathematics programme, May Chan found the volunteer teaching experience in Shaoshan very fruitful. “I helped in the China Resources Hope Kindergarten. I was very impressed by the strong sense of discipline in these small kids. I noticed that the kindergarten teachers gratify or discourage their students immediately if they do something good or improper. The teachers explained clearly to the kids on the spot as to why their actions met approval or disapproval,” she said.
May also noticed that Hope Kindergarten teachers were very good at using story-telling to teach. “Being given an opportunity to role-play, students were more motivated to listen to and learn from the stories told. The kids enjoy a lot of space to play in, for the kindergarten has a big school building and huge playground. Different parts of the classrooms are equipped with different learning tools and materials that cater to the learning needs of various age groups,” she said. The mathematics student found that students could play freely in both the indoor space and the outdoor playground during play time. “This fosters the cognitive, emotional, social, and physical growth of children through self-induced learning. Indeed, I find the kindergarten uses a concept that is close to the Montessori approach,” she said.
The kindergarten, which opened in 2013 under the support of China Resources Group, has a huge outdoor space for students to play, socialise and learn.
May observes how different corners of the kindergarten are equipped with different learning tools and materials for students to acquire various skills through self-exploration.
Agnes Man Mei-sum from the Department of Science and Environmental Studies, alongside Dr Lai Chi-shing from the Department of Chinese Language Studies and Mr Simon Chan, Director of HKFEW TechEd Centre, formed the panel that selected the EdUHK students that joined the volunteer teaching programme. “May Chan was a student of mine in the ‘Field experience foundation course I FEX2162’. In the course, I taught my students that as educators, we must dedicate ourselves to our students selflessly. Seize every opportunity to teach no matter which type of students come into our classrooms. This is how education passes on knowledge, skills and values from generation to generation,” Ms Man said.
While the children were able to benefit from the extra teaching support, our students also got a chance to practise what they have learnt at EdUHK.
Ms Man was glad to see that whether the students came from FLASS or other faculties, all participants had high spirits while teaching primary and kindergarten kids in Shaoshan. “While the children were able to benefit from the extra teaching support, our students also got a chance to practise what they have learnt at EdUHK. In addition, there were visits to local enterprises, talks given by distinguished speakers and farm work experiences arranged throughout the two-week programme. I hope that through the volunteer teaching and other activities in the programme, our students not only gained new experiences but also understood more about the development of the nation,” she said.
