SECONDARY school students in Hong Kong will have their first field trip to the mainland April 3, as part of their compulsory Citizenship and Social Development subject, and about 250 students will be participating, according to Hong Kong’s education secretary.

So far, over 6,000 students from 60 schools have signed up to participate in the study tour to the mainland in April, Secretary for Education of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Christine Choi Yuk-lin said Saturday. In addition, about 16,000 students from more than 160 schools have signed up to depart in May. Over 200 schools have signed up to depart between June and August, according to Choi.

She said that the field trips will have a one- to three-day itineraries primarily aligned with the school’s curriculum, with visits and exchanges focused on learning, and activities designed to include more in-depth active thinking and interactive elements.

The trips are part of HKSAR’s education reform, as the Citizenship and Social Development subject replaced Liberal Studies as one of the four core subjects of senior secondary education, and it will be included in the Diploma of Secondary Education exams starting from 2024.

(Global Times)