As you walk into the ‘Beyond the Classroom: Extra-curricular Activities’ exhibition – staged by the Hong Kong Museum of Education (HKME) at The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) – you will feel a sense of familiarity, intimacy and reminiscence. There are ‘watermelon’ balls, chess sets, marbles and other toys which have enjoyed great popularity in Hong Kong over the past decades. 

Co-organised by EdUHK and the Hong Kong Extra-curricular Activities Masters’ Association, the exhibition comprises five different sections, including ‘A Century of Nostalgia: Extra-curricular Activities in Hong Kong’, ‘Extra-curricular Enrichment for Whole-person Development’, ‘Outside the Classroom: Unforgettable Experiences with Friends’, and ‘Handmade Toys: Creativity through Play’. It delves into the development and evolution of extra-curricular activities in Hong Kong over the last century.

Thanks to the support of over 40 schools and organisations, the exhibition features around 200 historical photos and exhibits. Its topics cover a wide range of extra-curricular activities (ECAs), ranging from drama, music, scouting and martial arts training in the 1950s and 1960s, to inter-school quiz competitions and overseas exchange programmes in recent years. 

The collection of exhibits also reveals little-known stories of some prominent figures. For instance, Dr Rita Fan Hsu Lai-tai, the city’s former delegate to the National People's Congress standing committee, once won a championship in the Music Festival with her handmade bamboo flute; the young Dr Chung King-fai, now a drama master widely known as ‘King Sir’, made a name for himself during the inter-school drama competition nearly seven decades ago. The exhibition also features the baseball bat and glove which belonged to Mr Leo Lu Kwong-fai, the late principal of Kei Kok Primary School, who established one of the city’s first youth baseball teams – the ‘Shatin Martins’. The local film Weeds on Fire, released in 2016, also adapted his inspirational story. 

These valuable photographs and exhibits have been brought to life by interactive elements, allowing visitors to explore major school events across different generations. They include the use of augmented reality, and a handicrafts corner where visitors can make their own shuttlecocks.

Professor John Lee Chi-kin, Vice President (Academic) and Provost cum Chairman of the Education Heritage Advisory Committee, said, “ECAs are indispensable elements of student learning and personal growth. Through a systematic presentation of these after-school activities at different points in history, we hope to provide a platform for the public to reflect upon their meaning.”

University Librarian Dr Sidney Cheng Po-ying explained how ECAs have been revolutionised over the past century. “In the days when we were deprived of resources, a shuttlecock, a chess set, or even a blank sheet of paper could provide hours of entertainment. With ever-evolving technology, ECAs have now become more diversified. Some schools even provide flight simulators for their students, enabling them to grasp science concepts through playing.”

Ms Kevinna Deng Ying-yu, Curator of HKME, added that interactive elements are employed in the exhibition to arouse the interest of the public. She hopes the exhibition can foster intergenerational understanding, while inspiring visitors to reflect on the importance of ECAs to education.

The exhibition is offering free admission for the public, and a docent service is available for group bookings. Details as follows:

Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday, 10am – 5pm (Closed on public holidays)
Address: Block D1, Podium Level, The Education University of Hong Kong, 10 Lo Ping Road, Tai Po
Website: https://www.museum.eduhk.hk/en/programmes/Beyond_the_Classroom:_Extra-curricular_Activities