The turbulent year of 2004 ended with a tragic natural disaster in South Asia. As we ring in the New Year amid a global relief effort for the tsunami victims, I would like to wish the world a prosperous and peaceful 2005, and Hong Kong a flourishing economy and stability.

I also wish to see young people setting goals for themselves and learning proactively in the New Year, so as to lay a solid foundation for a rich and fruitful life.

In 1996, the United Nations Educational, Scientific & Cultural Organisation pointed out that the aim of education in this ever-changing world was to enable young people to "learn to learn", to "learn to do", to "learn to live together" and to "learn to be". It clearly highlights the inseparable relationship between acquiring knowledge and being a worthy person.

Constant expansion of new knowledge

The 21st century promises the rapid development of information and technology and a constant expansion of new knowledge. We should not limit our learning to knowledge passed down by our ancestors. We should also master the strategies and skills of learning, learn how to interpret, consolidate, screen and analyse information, and make good judgements.

Rote learning may help us acquire some basically unchanged knowledge, such as classical poems and ballads, or formulas and laws in mathematics, physics and chemistry.

However, in today's complex and quickly changing society, it is more important to develop the abilities to apply knowledge, to be innovative, to collaborate and to reflect on what we have learnt. It is also important to build self-confidence and to cultivate positive values and attitudes about life.

Reform cultivates attitude of active learning

The curriculum reform implemented in 2002 advocates the use of "project learning" to cultivate in students an attitude of active learning and to build knowledge in an exploratory way.

The reform of the academic structure recently proposed by the Education & Manpower Bureau further recommends the introduction of liberal studies as a core subject for senior secondary students.

The purpose is to encourage young people to think more and to analyse and discuss international, national and social issues from different perspectives, so as to gain a better understanding of the world around them. In so doing, they may learn to develop the basic skills of "learning to learn" and "learning to do".

In contrast to the acquisition of knowledge and skills, cultivation of moral and emotional attributes is hard to measure objectively. Yet, with the growing emphasis on teamwork in the workplace, qualities such as interpersonal relations and open-mindedness outweigh the importance of knowledge.

Moral education is the cornerstone of "learning to live" and "learning to be", and learning resources are available everywhere.

Let's take the recent horrifying tsunami disaster as an example. We witnessed one of the greatest tragedies in human history. We have also heard touching stories and seen the nobility of human nature in the transnational rescue operations. Human beings may be insignificant, yet human goodness is powerful. This natural calamity has offered a most valuable lesson on moral education.

The recent findings of two international studies on educational effectiveness, the International Mathematics & Science Study and the Programme for International Student Assessment, showed that Hong Kong students perform excellently in mathematics and science. This not only reflects the quality and standard of our students and teachers, it also reaffirms the effectiveness of our education.

Students' confidence needs improvement

We should be glad about the findings. But the two studies also point out that in general, the confidence and self-image of our students need improvement.

So while we applaud our students for their excellent academic achievements, we also need to find the reason for their lack of confidence, and seek remedies. The influence of traditional culture, the competition for school places, the school culture, teacher-student relations and the expectations of parents all have a bearing on young people's assessment of their own ability.

Apart from that, unduly severe criticism and negative reports from the community also affect the self-concept of our youth.

Self-confidence and self-image both have a direct effect on one's attitude towards learning and living. Attitude more than aptitude determines one's altitude. People who lack confidence can easily become pessimistic and give up when they encounter setbacks. People who have doubts about their own ability tend to be indecisive.

My young friends, how do you look upon yourselves? What are you proud of? Do you sometimes question your ability? Have you ever made up your mind to enhance your strengths or worked hard to improve your weaknesses?

Be a self-regulated lifelong learner

With the start of the New Year, I hope you will set goals for your performance in moral, emotional and academic learning for the year. I hope you will keep assessing your progress, make continuous improvements, and train yourself to be a self-regulated lifelong learner.