'New blueprint to help students excel under AI era'

Chief Secretary Eric Chan on Thursday said the city's newly unveiled blueprint for digital education development in primary and secondary schools would offer clear guidance in the age of artificial intelligence (AI).

The remarks came as he delivered a speech at the opening ceremony of the Learning and Teaching Expo in Wan Chai, where he stressed the city must "move boldly" to nurture young people to better navigate the rapidly changing tech world.

Last week, the government released its blueprint as part of efforts to ramp up students' AI literacy, outlining comprehensive goals to integrate AI into the education sector.

Speaking at the event, Chan said the blueprint reflects the government's commitment to Hong Kong's future, adding the goal is to achieve AI education for all students across all schools in the short-to-medium term.

"At its heart is a simple yet powerful message: cultivating values through education, keeping our students as the foundation, and using technology as the support.

"And this is what the word 'human-centric' in this year's Expo theme means to us in practice," he told participants.

"The blueprint offers a clear roadmap for every school, every teacher, and every student to excel in the digital age — not by simply using more technology, but by using it wisely, ethically, and creatively," he added.

The blueprint comprises four objectives, including enhancing students' digital literacy, strengthening teacher professionalism, upgrading digital infrastructure, and promoting cross-sector collaboration.

As part of the initiative, primary and secondary school teachers in the city will be required to receive 30 hours of digital education training every three years — starting in the coming academic year.

Primary and secondary schools will also be required to incorporate digital elements into their annual development plans, while an innovation and technology curriculum will be rolled out for pupils.

Separately, Chan noted authorities are taking action on various fronts to transform the city to become a premier global innovation and technology (I&T) hub, including building world-class I&T infrastructure, offering strategic funding, and luring talent.

To promote digital education in schools, the Education Bureau previously earmarked HK$2 billion under the Quality Education Fund in last year's Policy Address.

A one-off grant of HK$500,000 has also been provided to each publicly-funded primary and secondary school to assist with their digital transformation, such as spending on software and subscriptions.

Edited by Tony Sabine ...