EdUHK Holds Charity Stage Production to Advocate Special Education Awareness
The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) held the charity stage production “A Kid Story” at the Hong Kong City Hall Theatre on the evening of 8 November 2024. The event promoted the development of special education and inclusive education and helped raise awareness in society of children with special educational needs. The production also raised funds for “Project Aspire”, a programme managed and supervised by EdUHK, with an aim to support students with Asperger syndrome or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), their parents, and teachers.
As the only university in Hong Kong which focuses on teacher education, EdUHK has always been dedicated to assisting children with ASD in their growth and fostering a friendly and inclusive environment. In addition to the Department of Special Education and Counselling, the University has created Project Aspire to care for students with autism and provide various appropriate professional services to meet the special educational needs of these students and their parents.
Project Aspire, whose team co-organised this charity performance, was founded by Mrs Winifred Ip Fok Woon-yee in 2003 and officially established in mid-2004. It relies on private and institutional donations for operational funds. The project aims to provide social training for children with Asperger Syndrome or ASD, helping them realise their potential and integrate into school life, while providing support for their parents to help them enhance their children's abilities.
“A Kid Story” premiered in 2010, with re-runs in 2011 and 2023. The fourth run features young actors with autism, once again inviting the public into the world of people with ASD and their families through the story.
During the opening ceremony, Professor Terence Chan Ho-wah, Deputy Chairman of the EdUHK Council, called for continued attention and support from the government and various sectors of society to develop special education. He also cited statistics from the Hong Kong Education Bureau (EDB) regarding the 2023/24 academic year, indicating that around 10% of students in public mainstream schools – over 60,000 students – have special educational needs. This underscores the urgency and importance of promoting special education and inclusive education. Professor Chan emphasised that, guided by the spirit of "Education without Boundaries", EdUHK will continue to advocate and support the provision of comprehensive care in quality school education for students and parents with special educational needs, fostering a society characterised by care, trust, collaboration and mutual assistance.
In his address, Professor John Lee Chi-Kin, President of EdUHK, highlighted the University’s commitment to special education and inclusive education, a mission it has pursued since 2000. EdUHK has established numerous courses, research institutes, centres and programmes, as well as international seminars to comprehensively support individuals with special educational needs and their families. Professor Lee also mentioned that this is the fourth run of “A Kid Story”, expressing his hope that it will encourage the public to remain attentive to the development of special education and actively support its widespread implementation.
The premiere performance and opening ceremony were attended by over 400 people, including EdUHK staff, students, alumni, families of students with special educational needs, and various individuals concerned about special education, to show their support. The event was sponsored by Mr Law Yung-kai of Bauhaus Holdings Ltd., Mr Joseph Cheung Wang-ngai, Mr Norman Chui Pak-ming and Ms Cleresa Wong Pie-yue of the Shang Sin Chun Tong Charitable Foundation, Mr Alfred C.Y. Chow and Ms Rita Lo Lai-yu.
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