Society

During recess, a group of primary students excitedly rushed out of the classroom and could not wait to meet their “cute little friends” in the school’s STEM room. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and maths. The children have been breeding butterflies in boxes as part of a STEM project.  “I love butterflies. As one of the Butterfly Conservation Ambassadors, I’ve learned a lot about the creatures,” said Kan Chan, a Primary Six student from Stewards Pooi Kei Primary School. Stewards Pooi Kei Primary School attaches importance to inspiring students to think, allowing them to learn through STEM subjects in class by integrating subjects and encouraging them to participate in inter-school competitions.  Butterfly Conservation Ambassadors is one of the events. Students can nurture butterflies from caterpillars to adults and share the importance of butterfly conservation with their schoolmates. Through this, they help to raise biodiversity around the school.  In 2018 -19 school year, Stewards Pooi Kei Primary school won First Runner-up and the Most Popular Award in the Butterfly x Stem Expo organised by Green Power. However, a new educational approach, “STEAM”, has become more influential in recent years. It is a model of STEM, but adding the Arts along with Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics subjects. Chief Executive John Lee has proposed to enrich STEAM education in public-funded schools by 2024-25 through implementing enriched coding education at the senior primary level. The government will “step up the promotion of STEAM education for all, for fun and for diversity” in primary and secondary schools by incorporating more IT learning elements into the curriculum and enhancing professional training on STEAM, according to the Policy Address 2022.  To align with the STEAM trend, Stewards Pooi Kei Primary School started attaching the “Arts” aspect in recent years. The school’s STEM department has collaborated …

The number of parents, teachers, students and alumni who signed a petition to demand an explanation on the expected closure of Rosaryhill School on Stubbs Road reached 1525. They accused the school’s sponsoring body, Dominican Missions of failing to consult and respect them before an announcement on Sep. 19 to merge the kindergarten and primary school of Rosaryhill School with Dalton School Hong Kong and abolish the secondary department after two years. An internal notice of the Merger and Abolishment Plan was reportedly released to students and teachers without prior consultation. The principal was informed on Sep. 14, and parents and students were informed on Sep. 15. A parent meeting was then held less than 24 hours after the release of the notice. “It was released so late that many parents and students didn't see,’’ said Param Verma, 15, a secondary student from the school. Parents had insufficient time to attend and discuss the possibilities of better student arrangements”. Aaren Sapra, 15, a year three secondary student, said that parents were forced to look for other schools and were concerned that the government secondary school Central Allocation system may not be the best option for their kids, and they were worried that their children could not adapt to a new school and may lose their friends. “I will consider transferring our child to another school. We hope to give our child a fresh start sooner rather than waiting here for an uncertain future,” said Tracy Lo, 32, a secondary student’s mother. “Switching to another school means sacrificing the elective courses crucial for my future career aspirations,” said Param. With the school facing an uncertain future, alumni expressed profound disappointment and heartbreaks. "I have spent one-third of my life at Rosaryhill, forging valuable relationships with educators and peers and igniting my …