Source Of Data Collection
We have consulted the students, staff and the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) for this project. The information for the ‘findings section’ is from newspaper articles students form our school and staff from different schools including ours.
Findings
From The Students
We have interviewed 517 senior students of our school. The result of the survey is that almost 80% students are in favour of the ‘Beyond the Classroom’ programme. The students most prefer spending one evening every week for this programme. Most of them would like to attend the programme if it were held on Friday. Over 70% of them would not attend the programme if it were on Sunday.
From The Staff
Most teachers are in favour of the proposed programme. They are supportive. They suggested the types of activities of the project should be basically decided by the students. Also, they supports that it should not include additional language tuition to become too academic.
Expert Opinions From Newspapers Articles
One of the newspapers articles is from South China Time, 27 June 2003. The article that quoted a research at the University of Coimbra in Portugal has shown that teenagers who participate in extra-curricular activities achieve higher academic results than those who spend all their time studying. Participation in such activities could also lad to a great success rate in university admission and job offer.
Another newspapers article from Kowlooon Education Times, 3 February 2003, has reported an international conference hold in Lingnan University. Its main theme was physical and mental conformity of senior secondary school students in Asia.
A Canadian doctor expressed that many Hong Kong teenagers lack diversified ‘core experience’, in which typically exposed in the secondary school education of Hong Kong.
A doctor from the Chinese University said that the after-class lives of secondary students in Hong Kong were unbalanced. In his survey, he found that extra-curricular activities can improve students’ ability in decision making. Students who take part in such activities also learn to think more creatively and such activities also learn to think more creatively and develop their communication skills. He concluded that, students who take part in extra-curricular activities are in general better adjusted individuals. They could also develop healthier relationships.
A professor from University of Hong Kong said that teenagers need to be more adaptable and develop individuality. Under the exam-driven society, students eventually become adults whose rigidity stems progress in the society at large.
Potential Problems And Solutions
Parents worry about that the project may affect their children in their exam preparation. The solution for this is that the project can be suspended two weeks before exam periods.
Some teachers have been already attending compulsory IT course. We hope to have other volunteers to run this project, such as parents and their relatives. The school has sent out letters for seeking volunteers.
The music activities will finish before eight p.m. to avoid disturbing school neighbourrs.
Form 6 students have set up a patrol to protect students’ belongings during the project hours. It can also increase their sense of responsibility.
A student suggested that the project should charge a small enrolment fee to make more of a commitment to the programme and make the participants be more likely to likely to continue to attend. The fee will be given back to the participants after the have attended all lesson of the programme.
Conclusion
This project is important to develop students’ different skills, such as, creatively, leadership. These elements are as sane important as academic results for students. PTA’s support is needed to the project. I hope it will be successful in the near future.
Parent-Teacher Association
