Celebrating Excellence: Student of the Year Awards 2025/26 Highlights Leadership and Youth Development

Speech by CS at Student of the Year Awards 2025/26 Presentation Ceremony

Following is the speech by the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, at the Student of the Year Awards 2025/26 Presentation Ceremony today (July 11):

Tammy (Publisher of the South China Morning Post, Ms Tammy Tam), Winfried (Chief Executive Officer of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, Mr Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges), Bernard (Chairman of the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority Board, Mr Bernard Chan), Advisory Board members, ladies and gentlemen,

Good morning. It is a great pleasure to be here with you today at the Student of the Year Awards 2025/26 Presentation Ceremony.

We are here to do more than hand out the awards. We are here to honour the hard work of our students, and we are here to thank the teachers and parents who guide them, every step of the way.

This year marks the 45th anniversary of the Awards, a truly remarkable milestone. Over the years, the Student of the Year Awards has grown into one of Hong Kong's leading youth award programmes. It gives our students a platform to shine, and it pushes them to reach for even greater heights.

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the South China Morning Post and the Hong Kong Jockey Club for organising this meaningful event year after year. Your unwavering commitment to recognising young talent helps build our next generation of leaders.

The theme of this year's edition, "Leadership in Action: Shaping the Possible", calls on every one of you to see the leader within. Leadership is not about a title. It is the courage to step forward, the strength to take responsibility, and the determination to turn ideas into reality. That is the spirit we celebrate today, and that spirit will shape a brighter future for our city, and for the world at large.

The Government shares this vision wholeheartedly. We are firmly committed to youth development. In late 2022, we released the Youth Development Blueprint, which set out more than 160 specific actions and measures. It laid down our guiding principles for promoting longterm youth development.

And we are not standing still. We have since introduced around 130 additional youthrelated measures to keep pace with evolving needs. We are determined to create an enabling environment where every young person can realise their full potential.

This year also marks the beginning of the National 15th FiveYear Plan period, a critical moment for Hong Kong's future. To align with the national strategy, the Government is now drawing up Hong Kong's First Five-Year Plan.

And on youth development, we will build on the foundation of the Blueprint, and leverage Hong Kong's unique advantages of enjoying the strong support of the motherland while remaining closely connected to the world.

We aim to nurture a new generation of young people with a global perspective, a sense of responsibility, and a deep affection for Hong Kong and our country. This vision requires all of us, the Government, schools, families, and the wider community, to work hand in hand. Together, we will build a strong foundation for our youth to grow and succeed.

Today, my warmest congratulations go to all the finalists and award recipients. Your achievements speak volumes about your talent, dedication and resilience. You have earned more than recognition from your schools, your families and the wider community. Above all, your courage to embrace challenges, and your determination to push beyond your limits will be your greatest guides. They will serve you well as you keep reaching for excellence in everything you do.

To every student in this room, I encourage you to always have confidence in your own potential. Stay curious. Keep learning. Keep reaching for new heights. Hong Kong needs bright young minds like you, who are willing to lead, to serve and to innovate. I have every confidence that many of you will go on to shape a brighter future for our city.

Let me once again congratulate all the winners and finalists. I wish you every success in the years ahead, and I hope today's ceremony will be a memorable milestone in your future journey. Thank you!

Speech by CS at Student of the Year Awards 2025/26 Presentation Ceremony Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Speech by CS at Student of the Year Awards 2025/26 Presentation Ceremony Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

EDB holds Experience Day on Other Languages

The Education Bureau (EDB) today (July 11) held the "Other Languages Experience Day: Learn. Showcase. Connect.", enabling students participating in the Pilot Scheme on Other Languages for Junior Secondary Students, funded by the Quality Education Fund, to showcase their learning achievements from the past school year through a variety of interactive booth games. The event also provided an opportunity for participants to engage with different languages in a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere, and experience together the joy of language learning.

Addressing the opening ceremony, the Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, said that the Experience Day offers a platform for peer learning and mutual enrichment. Through diversified activities, it allows participants to experience the characteristics and appeal of various languages, thereby fostering respect and appreciation for cultural diversity.

Dr Choi said that the EDB remains committed to providing all-round support for schools to cultivate a rich language learning environment for students. She hopes that students can build on their strong foundation in biliterate and trilingual abilities to actively pursue opportunities for learning different languages. By equipping themselves well, they will become a new generation with a global vision who are rooted in Hong Kong and possess a deep sense of national identity.

Following the announcement by the Chief Executive in his Policy Address 2024, the EDB launched the Pilot Scheme on Other Languages for Junior Secondary Students in January last year, inviting all publicly-funded secondary schools (including special schools) offering the local junior secondary curriculum to apply for funding to provide junior secondary students with opportunities to learn other languages, with a view to cultivating an interest in learning, developing multilingual capabilities and thereby enhancing Hong Kong's international competitiveness.

The languages covered by the pilot scheme include Arabic, French, German, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Spanish, and Urdu. In the 2025/26 school year, over 170 schools participated in the pilot scheme, with each school receiving a one-off funding of $250,000 to provide designated courses in other languages for their junior secondary students.

EDB holds Experience Day on Other Languages Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

EDB holds Experience Day on Other Languages Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

EDB holds Experience Day on Other Languages Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases