Pak Kau Learning Motto: Everyone Can be Taught
Article / Photo Source: Hong Kong Design Centre: Unleash! Empowered by Design Thinking
Cultivating Future Innovators through STEM Education
Over the past decade, technology has advanced at a breakneck pace, delivering breakthrough achievements while also causing disruptive changes. Many governments and businesses believe that skills in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) are key to building a prosperous future and maintaining competitiveness. It is no wonder that numerous countries and cities have begun reforming school curricula to place greater emphasis on STEM education. Hong Kong is no exception. Since November 2015, the Hong Kong SAR Government has issued guidelines and provided funding to promote STEM education throughout the territory.
Although integrating STEM into existing subjects remains challenging, several pioneering schools have successfully incorporated STEM into their classrooms and achieved impressive results, which is encouraging. One such example is Pak Kau College. Pak Kau College is one of eight directly funded schools selected by the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO) to participate in the Information Technology Enrichment Programme (EITP). The school has won numerous awards in major local and international competitions.
The EITP selected eight secondary schools as partner schools and ran four cohorts of the programme from the 2015/16 to the 2022/23 academic years, providing in‑depth IT training and activities for students from Secondary 2 to Secondary 6.
In addition to the EITP, InnoPower@JC is a four‑year initiative launched and funded by the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust to promote an innovative culture in schools and society at large. The first phase began in 2017; this 10‑week scholarship programme is specifically designed for teachers and social workers.
Insights from Design Thinking
“Participating in the InnoPower@JC programme was an eye‑opening experience for me,” says Mr. Cheung Wing‑Tai, Director of Academic Development and mathematics teacher at Pak Kau College. Mr. Cheung was nominated to join the 2017 InnoPower@JC scholarship programme and was part of the first cohort of teachers to receive design‑thinking training.
Chan Chi Ho, a mathematics, computer, and IT teacher at Pak Kau College, was introduced to design thinking through Mr. Cheung.
The two teachers discovered many commonalities between design thinking and their efforts to strengthen STEM education at school. Although the school had achieved strong results in STEM competitions, the teachers felt they were still missing something. They could not be sure whether students’ STEM solutions truly met users’ needs. With this in mind, Mr. Chan and his student team applied design thinking to a project aimed at developing “accessible travel” solutions for people with disabilities.
In the early stages of the project, students experienced the obstacles faced by wheelchair users in everyday activities by attempting to sit in a wheelchair. This experience opened their eyes and revealed problems the team had never considered before, giving them deeper insights. Using these findings, the team designed a mobile application called “Wheel World” that provides wheelchair users with information on nearby accessible facilities, eateries, and restrooms. The app not only offers practical solutions but also helped the team win awards in STEM competitions.
Students who participated in Pak Kau College’s STEM curriculum remember the time they invested in the project. Their hard work not only earned them trophies and recognition but also taught them the importance of perseverance, teamwork, and empathy toward the service recipients.
Beyond STEM: Restoring Confidence in Learning
As a directly funded school, Pak Kau College enjoys greater flexibility in curriculum design to meet students’ needs. The school’s founder, Professor Tam Man Kwan, has long advocated the motto: “Everyone Can Be Taught!” Pak Kau College also admits students from disadvantaged backgrounds, and the school promotes a well‑rounded development, with STEM being one of the learning experiences offered.
Principal Mr. Wong Wing Tung, William says, “Design thinking and its emphasis on empathy align with our school’s motto of ‘Everyone Can Be Taught.’ This motto allows the school to cherish each student’s uniqueness; every student has their own talents, interests, abilities, and aspirations. Pak Kau College aims to provide a conducive environment for students to experience and learn. This complements the human‑centric focus of design thinking.”
Vice‑Principal Mr. Au Hoi-kin adds, “Encouraging students to participate in various school activities and external competitions serves two purposes. It boosts students’ confidence and reignites their motivation to learn.”
In discussions about STEM education, the example of Pak Kau College may tell us what the current STEM curriculum is missing.