The Education Bureau today held the “Love Our Home, Treasure Our Country” - Celebration of the 75th Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China & Joint School National Education Activities Kick-off Ceremony.

The bureau announced that it will collaborate with Tung Wah Group of Hospitals, Po Leung Kuk, the Hong Kong Council of the Church of Christ in China, the Lok Sin Tong Benevolent Society, Kowloon, Hong Kong Subsidized Secondary Schools Council, Hong Kong Direct Subsidy Scheme Schools Council, Hong Kong Aided Primary School Heads Association and Subsidized Primary Schools Council to jointly organise the “Love Our Home, Treasure Our Country 3.0” series of joint school national education activities in the 2024-25 school year.

Deputy Chief Secretary Cheuk Wing-hing and Secretary for Education Choi Yuk-lin officiated at the kick-off ceremony attended by about 2,500 representatives from school sponsoring bodies and the bureau, principals, teachers, students and parents.

Addressing the event, Mr Cheuk said that the “Love Our Home, Treasure Our Country 3.0” joint school national education activities will further expand the scale of the event.

He noted that participating schools cover kindergartens, primary schools, secondary schools, special schools and sister schools on the Mainland, adding that joint school collaboration not only strengthens exchanges among schools but also combines strengths to develop resources, enabling a patriotic atmosphere and sentiments to extend continuously across school campuses in all districts of Hong Kong.

Mr Cheuk highlighted that love for the country should be the value and sentiment of every Chinese national, and patriotic education and activities play an important role in nurturing the growth of patriotic sentiments.

He thanked practitioners from the education sector for remaining steadfast in their roles, noting that through learning inside and outside the classroom, students are given the opportunity to gain an in-depth understanding of the country's history, culture and values from an early age, and experience the distinctiveness of traditional Chinese culture, thereby fostering their pride in being Chinese and enhancing their national pride and sense of responsibility and ownership.

The kick-off ceremony featured a variety of rich programmes, including a performance by a 90-member joint school Chinese orchestra. In addition, over 100 students performed lion dances, martial arts and other dances. A choir composed of 75 principals from school sponsoring bodies, school councils and government schools marked the ceremony's finale with a song to express their warm congratulations on the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

Highlights of the kick-off ceremony will be broadcast on RTHK TV 31 at 1.30pm on September 28.