Using maritime learning as a platform to promote students’ moral development and move towards professionalism

Hong Kong Sea School is the only fully boarding subsidized secondary school in Hong Kong that offers maritime courses. The school stimulates students' upward motivation by creating a maritime-related learning environment and opportunities. In the past few years, in addition to teaching traditional subjects, the school has also introduced maritime courses, technology applications and practical training recognized by the Hong Kong Marine Department, which have been included in the compulsory school-based curriculum. All students will pass the local Captain III examination before graduation and obtain the qualifications of the local Captain III, which will give them great advantages whether they engage in maritime related industries or work in the disciplined forces in the future.

Set goals to induce learning motivation

Principal Chan To Pui believes that it is very important for students to set a clear direction during the learning process to maintain their learning motivation. "The function of the school is to help students set an achievable goal and then create a learning platform. Students can build a sense of satisfaction and confidence in the process With the support and encouragement of their teachers, their motivation for independent learning and their requirements for self-character will definitely be greatly improved. The school uses maritime and disciplinary traditions to set the goal of becoming maritime and disciplinary force experts, allowing them to believe that they can become professionals and motivating them to work hard.”

Boarding life cultivates independence and positive personality

The school has always adopted experiential learning, allowing students to learn by doing things. Each student will become independent and mature without knowing it through the school's uniquely designed teaching methods. "One of the school's policies requires all students to stay in the dormitory. The dormitory is a learning platform for self-care and group living. In addition to physical exercise, the training in the aquatic center also cultivates students' perseverance, problem-solving ability and communication skills. The school's discipline training cultivates students' humble and sociable character. Due to long-term exposure to nature and participation in water and discipline training, every student is basically a cheerful and positive young man."

Give full play to the advantages of boarding schools and deepen professional training

Although the school-based maritime courses account for 6% of the total class time, the school takes advantage of the advantages of a boarding school. Students learn maritime theoretical knowledge in the classroom, master astronomy, geography and safety awareness in the water sports center after class, and even use night time for night sailing training. Learning is both interesting and fulfilling. Under the arrangement of the school, some students will go to different shipping companies for internships during the long holidays to gain experience. "Currently, there are as many as 50 in-depth cooperation relationships with the school, including government departments, maritime industry and group organizations. Students are given a lot of opportunities. During the six years of boarding life, they can visit and even experience the operation of local commercial ships, inland river boats, jet boats, boarded ocean vessels, disciplinary forces and marine department vessels, thereby enhancing their latest understanding of the maritime industry."

Maritime development opportunities are everywhere

At present, there is a shortage of maritime talents. Although the demand is great, there are many promotion opportunities, and the salary is considerable, very few young people are willing to join the maritime industry due to lack of understanding or misunderstanding of the industry. "The maritime industry has a very broad development space. In addition to local captains, river captains, and ocean-going captains, there are also chief engineers, ship maintenance, ship trading, ship insurance, maritime management, maritime law, disciplinary forces, cruise services, maritime environmental protection, maritime education, etc. When students can pass the assessment of local third-level captains and obtain professional qualifications before graduation, they will become the "proud ones" of the maritime industry, with unlimited prospects. "According to official information, the entry salary of a local third-level captain or chief engineer is more than 20,000 yuan, and the salary of a first-level captain or chief engineer exceeds 40,000 yuan. If you are a captain of a river ship or even an ocean-going ship, your salary is two to three times higher than that of a local captain.

A large team of maritime leaders accompanies students in planning for the future

The industry is currently in desperate need of talent. Both the maritime industry and the disciplined forces hope to recruit suitable young talents. The school has seized the opportunity in the past few years and introduced a large number of managers from the government and industry, including Marine Department officials, officers of the disciplined forces, shipping company managers, and ocean-going captains. It has established a "Young Talent Program" to allow industry leaders to serve as life mentors for students. In addition to regular meetings with students, students also have the opportunity to experience relevant management work up close, preparing for future career planning. Principal Chan To Pui said: "Successive directors of the Marine Department are deputy sponsors of the school's sponsoring organizations. They attend the school's opening ceremony or graduation ceremony almost every year to encourage students to study hard and hope that they can apply what they have learned after graduation and join the Marine Department or the maritime industry to make contributions." In the past few years, more than 60% of graduates have engaged in maritime-related work in different fields, and the remaining 40% have joined different disciplinary forces or continued their studies.

Goals drive good value outlook and character development

The professional training of maritime courses brings clear prospects to students. Students cherish their future and consciously make demands and improvements in academics and character. In the past few years, students have performed outstandingly in different fields. For example, students have continuously won gold medals from the Hong Kong Youth Award Scheme; they have achieved outstanding results in local academic dragon boat competitions and even overseas open competitions; some students have won awards in inter-school recitation competitions; many students are now members of the Hong Kong water sports team, etc. Principal Chan To Pui added that just before Typhoon Huagasa hit Hong Kong, the students used maritime knowledge to not only carry out defensive measures for the school to reduce losses, but also took the initiative to open the school space and assist different organizations and local fishermen on Stanley Main Beach to move boats. This display of empathy was also highly recognized by community organizations, confirming the effectiveness of the school's values ​​education.