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First gifted education centre officially opened
The Fung Hon Chu Gifted Education Centre will enhance the Education Department's services to gifled children and provide a good foundation for long-term support for the development of gifted education in Hong Kong, the acting Director of Education, Mr Kwan Ting-fai, said today (Wednesday).
Addressing the opening ceremony of the centre, which was officiated by the Governor, the Rt Hon Christopher Patten, Mr Kwan noted that the Education Department had been providing enrichment programmes for gifted primary school pupils since the eighties.
"The establishment of this centre will further enhance our services to children of high abilities," he said.
Mr Kwan said the centre would help raise the awareness of the general public in the area of gifted education and rally support from the community at large. Parents of gifted children will also be helped to maximise the potential of their children.
The centre is equipped with facilities and resources of a high standard to provide assessment and counselling services as well as training and enrichment programmes for gifted children, their parents and teachers.
The centre also houses a selection of audio-visual materials, computer assisted instruction and learning packages, library books, journals and magazines relating to gifted education.
Mr Kwan believed that the wide range of services offered will undoubtedly bring about positive cumulative effects on the education of pupils of high abilities.
He paid tribute to the late Fung Hon Chu, from whose education trust fund an $8 million donation was made to establish the centre.
The Education Commission Report No 4 recommended that school-based programmes should be provided for academically gifted children with the support of a
resource centre.
The Fung Hon Chu Gifted Education Centre is located at the vacated premises of the Tsuen Wan Government Secondary Technical School at 7 Shing Mun Road, Tsuen Wan.