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Launching of Equal Opportunities Educational Module

21/09/2004

The Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) has launched today (21 September 2004) a new educational module for teachers to help their students understand Hong Kong's three anti-discrimination ordinances. Jointly developed with Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK), "A Mission for Equal Opportunities - Student Forum" is a useful tool for teachers and students to learn about the impact of discrimination, and how to prevent it.


Speaking at the launching ceremony of the educational module, Mrs. Patricia CHU Yeung Pak-yu, Chairperson of the EOC, said, "It is important to cultivate positive attitudes and a strong sense of equal opportunities in young people, so that they will not discriminate against other people when they grow up. Through instilling in students important values based on respect for human dignity and empathy for other people, the module aims at transforming the students to become agents in combating traditional misconceptions and prejudice," said Mrs. CHU.


The Student Forum is specially designed to encourage debate on discriminatory issues many face in everyday life. These include accessibility problems for wheel-chair users, sexual harassment, pregnancy dismissals, specific learning difficulties and mental illness.


"It is encouraging to see in the Student Forum that the students supported equal opportunities and condemned discriminatory acts. As a result, their understanding on the legal perspective of equal opportunities issues have also been enhanced," Mrs. CHU said.


The Chairperson continued, "The Commission's key strategy in public education is to integrate equal opportunities concepts in the school environment. Today's initiative follows a training module on inclusive education earlier, the "E-Learning Package for Teachers on Equal Opportunities in Education", which more than 400 teachers have completed since it was launched last June. Currently, the Commission is working in partnership with the Curriculum Development Institute and the Women's Commission on integrating the principles of equal opportunities and respect for diversities into the school curriculum."


Today's educational module consists of 4 VCDs, containing the award winning TV docu-drama series, "A Mission for Equal Opportunities III", a user's manual, and a CD-Rom. Based on 8 real-life cases of discrimination, the TV series was aired on TVB Jade in 2003, and received a Gold Plaque and a Certificate of Merit in the 40th Chicago International Television Competition this year.


2,000 sets of the educational modules will be available free-of-charge to all primary and secondary schools. Those interested should contact the EOC at 2511-8211. The EOC will be holding a series of familiarization workshops for primary and secondary teachers in November 2004 on the utilization of the educational module.

Education Module



Enquiry: Ms. Mariana LAW 21062226



 

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