Professional Exchange and Consultation Projects

The Association highly supports teaching staff to have professional exchange with the Mainland and overseas counterparts to increase their professional knowledge.

Since 1997, with full support from the Hongkong Bank Foundation, we have co-organized ten times of the "Exchange Programme in Special Education" with the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China and the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR. Over 1,250 teaching professionals have participated in the programmes, and it is estimated that more than 143,400 students with special educational needs (SEN) have benefited. These exchange programmes can promote not only the professional standards of the teaching staffs in both regions, but their mutual understanding of the development in special education.

In 2006, our principals and senior teachers arranged a nine-day study tour in the United Kingdom. Whilst there, they visited special schools, and exchanged information with the local professionals on integrated education, strategic school management, curriculum development, and assessment of students with SEN. In 2008 and 2011, we invited Mr Malcolm Reeve, Chief Executive of Columbus School and College in the United Kingdom, to conduct seminars for the middle management of Hong Chi schools. The seminars were well received, and our staffs were greatly inspired by the expertise and experience Mr Reeve brought to the seminars.

Visits are also made to special schools / special education organisations in China and Southeast Asian countries for the latest development in special education of different regions and teaching inspirations to our teaching staff. Hong Chi Schools have visited Korea, Taiwan, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chungshan, Macau, Tianjin, Chifeng, etc, in recent years.

As for consultation projects, the Association has been invited by different organisations including the Macau Social Welfare Institute and Associação dos Familiares Encarregados dos Deficientes Mentais de Macau to provide in-service training and consultation services. The Association was also commissioned by the Education Bureau to develop the Learning Progression Framework for Liberal Studies / Independent Living for Students with Intellectual Disabilities to ensure systematic implementation of the New Senior Secondary Curriculum and to facilitate students' smooth transition from school to vocational training.