• Tsang Pik Shan Secondary School programme will be carried out with help from the Post’s Operation Santa Claus charity drive
• School to offer activities such as cooking with the elderly, science contests and extra English lessons via Zoom to new arrivals

Teachers Hung Kam-chuen (left), Cliff Yeung, English panel head, and Chu Yuen-ching, technology and living panel head, with students at Tsang Pik Shan Secondary School. Photo: K. Y. Cheng

New immigrant pupils arriving in Hong Kong face a host of challenges when learning to adapt to their new environment.

But one secondary school hopes to help them integrate faster while also learning important life skills.

Tsang Pik Shan Secondary School in Ma On Shan intends to launch its “Simple Technical Self-Development” programme next year to reach out to new arrivals, who make up 35 per cent of the city’s school population.

Ho Pui-Sing, principal of Tsang Pik Shan Secondary School and Wong Pui-nan, project coordinator. Photo: K. Y. Cheng

“We want to encourage students to not be afraid to make mistakes and learn from them,” Wong Pui-nan, the project’s coordinator, said. “They can continue to practise these values even when they grow up.”

The two-year project will be carried out with help from Operation Santa Claus, a campaign organised by the South China Morning Post and public broadcaster RTHK to help those in need. The drive has so far helped more than 287 charitable projects and raised HK$316 million since 1988.

The school is one of this year’s 19 beneficiaries.

Pupils will have a chance to join different types of activities aimed at encouraging them to keep trying even in the face of adversity.

For instance, they can take part in cooking lessons with the elderly to learn recipes together. Chu Yuen-ching, who heads the school’s technology and living panel, hopes such bonding experiences can bridge the gaps between generations and allow older residents to pass on values.

“We will pair one student and one elderly resident together,” Chu said. “The students can improve their cooking skills with advice from the elderly, while also listening to their life stories.”

The new pupils will also have the chance to interact with primary school children by teaching them some basic science.

Hung Kam-chuen, who leads the schools’ engineering science panel, explained how students at both the primary and secondary level could work together on fun projects, such as creating bristle bots and solar-powered cars.

They could hold friendly competitions to see which vehicles ran faster, which would help develop their self-confidence and teamwork, Hung said.

In terms of academics, new immigrant pupils can also receive extra English lessons, which will be taught by undergraduate students from the Centre for Applied English Studies at the University of Hong Kong.

These classes would be conducted exclusively on Zoom in an online environment that allows some students to feel more confident compared to large classroom settings.

“With Zoom classes, we can have two students under one teacher who can provide better quality teaching in smaller groups,” Cliff Yeung Ting-fai, the English panel head, said. “These students will feel less self-conscious and gain better confidence.”

Tsang Pik Shan Secondary School has a history of supporting the community through various charitable causes.

“Volunteering services in school have always been a tradition,” Ho Pui-sing, the school’s principal, said. “We are confident that our upcoming project will be a success due to our many years of experience.”

Link：https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3108424/hong-kong-school-aims-help-new-immigrant-students-ease