Exploring sustainable development through the lenses of urban planning and housing policies

2021/11/30

Liberal Studies (Secondary School ) Enrichment Series: Housing in Hong Kong

Connecting ever-changing realities

We believe that the actualities and development in our societies can only be well understood through observation in person. This can be realised through integrating community observation into liberal studies curriculum, in order to align textbook knowledge with reality and let students reflect on social issues. This is why practising education in the communities as “the scene of actions” has always been an important initiative at Kaifong Tour. In collaboration with Curriculum Development Institute of Education Bureau, we provide a Professional Development Program for Liberal Studies teachers, to promote continuing education among in-service teachers. Liberal Studies (now as Citizenship and Social Development) involves nowadays topics about development of Hong Kong. Teachers are required to guide students in analysing the ever-changing social conditions. With housing policies as the theme, our team designed a workshop according to curriculum content where teachers gain a deeper understanding about implementation of policies. After the workshop, the knowledge can be transformed into teaching materials, thus encouraging students to observe more and engage themselves in the society. This initiative not only corresponds to the goal and objectives of the senior secondary school curriculum, but is also in line with the values promoted in the Key Learning Areas of Personal, Social and Humanities aspects, strengthening the connection between classroom learning and social reality.

Interact with community stakeholders and learn about societal conditions

The workshop included guest lectures, community guided tours, and peer-to-peer discussions. The activities illustrated to participants the living conditions of the grassroots communities, and deepened their understanding of relevant housing topics. Our team invited experts from the field, Mr. HO Chun Kit, Kitson, the Project Director of the Community Housing Movement, launched by The Hong Kong Council of Social Service (HKCSS), to share his experience and insights about housing policies and actualities in Hong Kong. After establishing basic understanding about the texts, teachers “walked” into actual living environments through online guided tours, to witness how policies and housing design manifest in realities. We adopted an online version of guided tours in overcoming the impossibility of in-person tours due to the pandemic, to ensure safety for everyone. Through video live streaming, the participants were able to observe, listen to and interact with individuals being interviewed in the local neighbourhoods. Finally, after a series of discussion and exchange of discoveries, participants come together to turn their knowledge to teaching materials.

Transforming on-site discoveries into thoughtful teaching resources

Being involved in the interviews and real-life interactions, the teachers appreciate this experience in increasing their awareness about local social issues and in helping them to develop teaching materials from meaningful experiences, with the teaching resources and toolkits prepared by the team. Due to the enthusiastic feedback, we are honoured to have opportunities to work with the involved organisations in the future. This workshop demonstrates our commitment in connecting social resources and education, in order to align classroom teaching to the most up-to-date social issues, and to help teachers in nurturing students’ skills in critical thinking.

Teachers share noteworthy experiences from the interviews, and discuss the importance and methods of integrating knowledge about social realities in their lessons.

Acknowledgements:

Community Housing Movement team, the Hong Kong Council of Social Service
Christian Concern for The Homeless Association

Extended reading

• 高中通識教育科知識增益系列課程：從房屋發展探討香港的可持續發展（新辦）