An international conference aimed at supporting the learning and teaching of culturally diverse young learners is held today (18 April) as part of C-for-Chinese@JC, a five-year project initiated and funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust to enhance the Chinese proficiency of ethnic minority kindergarten students in Hong Kong for better social integration.

Guests at the conference opening today included Club Steward Dr Rosanna Wong Yick Ming, Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung, President of The Education University of Hong Kong Professor Stephen Cheung, Project Steering Committee Chairperson Dr York Chow and Club’s Executive Director, Charities and Community, Leong Cheung.

The Club’s Charities Trust initiated the C-for-Chinese@JC project in 2016 in collaboration with three local universities and two non-governmental organisations, with a donation of HK$237 million. The project is aimed at fostering a culturally responsive and pleasurable learning environment that enables the growing number of ethnic minority kindergarten students to learn Chinese effectively and meaningfully through a holistic home-school-community model. This will enhance the Chinese proficiency of culturally diverse kindergarten children for their smoother transition to primary education, so as to foster social inclusion in society.

Dr Wong said the Club was very proud to launch the project. “The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust is one of the world’s top ten charity donors. With a passion and mission for local educational development, we have provided support and donations of almost HK$5 billion over the past decade,” she said. “We are also committed to building up a socially-inclusive, diverse and harmonious Hong Kong.”

Since its inception two and a half years ago, the project has been fully implemented in 20 Network Schools with impressive results.  There are also 26 Affiliated Schools join the project with partial support services in the home-school-community domains.  The project has provided professional training to over 200 kindergarten practitioners, including school leaders, teachers, and multicultural teaching assistants. 

With the theme “Education for All: International Conference on Supporting the Learning and Teaching of Young Multicultural Learners”, the international conference has attracted over 300 local and overseas academics and experts in early childhood education to share and exchange their knowledge and insights, including keynote speakers Professor James Banks from the University of Washington and Professor Fred Dervin from the University of Helsinki.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club

Founded in 1884, The Hong Kong Jockey Club is a world-class racing club that acts continuously for the betterment of our society. The Club has a unique integrated business model, comprising racing and racecourse entertainment, a membership club, responsible sports wagering and lottery, and charity and community contribution. Through this model, the Club generates economic and social value for the community and supports the Government in combatting illegal gambling. In 2017/18, the Club made a record return to the Government of HK$22.6 billion in duty and profits tax and contributed HK$1.2 billion to the Lotteries Fund. Approved charity donations were HK$4.2 billion. The Club is Hong Kong’s largest single taxpayer and one of the city’s major employers. Its Charities Trust is also one of the world’s top ten charity donors. The Club is always “riding high together for a better future” with the people of Hong Kong.