Opening of ‘Early Learning in Hong Kong – Past and Present’ Exhibition by Hong Kong Museum of Education

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A wooden playground slide and a seesaw made in the 1950s and 1960s, old kindergarten school reports and graduation certificates, childhood toys, textbooks, song books and many valuable images covering the development of kindergarten education in Hong Kong are now available for display at the Early Learning in Hong Kong – Past and Present exhibition, organised by the Hong Kong Museum of Education at The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK).

The year-long exhibition, which captures the collective memories of Hong Kong’s early learning experiences through the display of past and present objects documenting kindergarten life, gives an overview of local early childhood education, with a view to deepening public understanding of the subject.

The exhibition is divided into two parts. The first part captures our collective memories of kindergarten through the display of past and present objects marking our first steps away from the familiar world of family and home. Themes include Singalong, the Library, Tea Time, and Early Maths and Science, among others. The second part is a brief history of the development of early childhood education and associated teacher education in Hong Kong.

Professor Stephen Cheung Yan-leung, President of EdUHK, and Professor John Lee Chi-kin, Vice President (Academic) and Chairman of the Education Heritage Advisory Committee, officiated at the opening of the exhibition today (31 October).

Professor Cheung said, “Early childhood education is very important for us, as it lays the foundation of whole-person development. Free education in Hong Kong was extended to kindergarten this September. This is therefore a timely exhibition, which will nudge our memories and bring back scenes of our early experiences at kindergarten, while also giving us an overview of the development of early childhood education in Hong Kong.”

Professor Lee said the exhibition was the first of its kind in Hong Kong, adding that “each of us has early learning experiences that are in some way unique, but we also have much in common, illustrated by the formative, powerful and life-long effect of these images.”

Early childhood education in Hong Kong expanded rapidly in the 1970s, with the school attendance rate for children aged three to five rising from 55% in 1971 to 83% in 1981. Kindergarten is part of nearly everyone’s childhood experience in Hong Kong nowadays. 

Visitors also have a chance to see and listen to classic nursery rhymes written by celebrated lyricist Mr Cheng Kwok-kong and to make a kindergarten school report with an interactive game.

The exhibition runs from 1 November 2017 to 31 October 2018.  Admission is free and group visits are most welcome.  Other details are as follows: