Speech at Opening Ceremony of Company Programme 2007/08 Trade Fair - Junior Achievement Hong Kong

15 December 2007 (Saturday)

Opening Ceremony of

Company Programme 2007/08 Trade Fair

Junior Achievement Hong Kong

Speech by Mr Michael M Y Suen, GBS, JP

Secretary for Education

Mr (Vincent) Cheng, Dr (Stephen) Wong, Distinguished Guests and Fellow Students,  

It is my great pleasure to join you this morning. 

First of all, let me extend my gratitude to the Junior Achievement Hong Kong (JAHK), the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited and the volunteer business advisors from various sectors for bringing this meaningful event into existence.

The Company Programme of the Junior Achievement Hong Kong is one of the most popular education activities under the Business-school Partnership Programme, with participation of more than 1500 students from 75 schools this year.  The Programme aims at helping our students to broaden their horizons and to have a better understanding of the working of businesses.  Through participation, students can strengthen their communication skills, leadership and creativity.  The Programme has become an annual event of the education sector.

Learning should not be confined to classrooms.  We encourage students to acquire greater exposure to things and events happening around them in the society for their whole-person development.  To this end, we have made “Other Learning Experience” (the so called “OLE”) one of the key components under our New Senior Secondary Curriculum to be implemented in 2009.   Under the new curriculum, schools will need to offer OLE opportunities both within and outside normal school settings to facilitate the balanced development of students.   It is clear that the Company Programme and its Trade Fair have provided a very good exemplar of OLE to our schools.   

Today, I am happy to find many attractive booths exhibiting the creativity and hard work of the participating students.  Thanks to the kind counsel of the volunteer business advisors, our students could enrich their knowledge by hands-on experiences.  I am sure that you all find this an invaluable experience.   

Before closing, I would like to appeal to the business community for your continual support to our efforts in offering diversified learning opportunities to our youngsters.   May I also take this opportunity to wish all of you a Merry Christmas.  

Thank you.