This year, our school has become a member of the Hong Kong Scotland School Improvement Partnership (HKSSIP), which brings schools and school leaders to different cultures with the aim of improving learning for our students through exposure.

We are very delighted that our principal and one of our English teachers had our first visit to Scotland from 2 November to 10 November 2019 with six S4 students. We were invited to engage in a series of professional exchange with the HKSSIP participating schools in Hong Kong and partner schools in Scotland. During our visit, students had class shadowing in our partner school, Liberton High School. They attended lessons with their 'buddies' and visited different cultural spots such as Edinburgh Castle and the Royal Mile in Edinburgh. Students from both Hong Kong and Scotland exchanged ideas and interacted with one another. They shared their experience in language learning and the different lifestyles of their home country. The various cultural visits deepened our students' understanding towards Scotland. They were well-hosted by the friendly local families and they experienced something local. One of the highlights of the Scotland Exchange Trip was our participation in the 8th SCEN Youth Summit at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre on 8 November 2019. SCEN (The Scotland China Education Network) aims to bring together individuals, national agencies and associations which are keen to promote teaching and learning Chinese language and culture in Scottish schools. It also provides an opportunity for young people to share expertise and good practices of language learning through network meetings, pupil conferences and different platforms. Students from nearly 20 schools from Scotland participated with a number of visiting students from Hong Kong as part of the Hong Kong Scotland School Improvement Partnership (HKSSIP). The theme was Scotland: China – Moving Forward and the event was hosted by young people. Different school groups from Scotland shared their experiences in their study trips in China while students from Hong Kong had presentations about cultural differences between Scotland and Hong Kong. Around 300 young people and teachers were present. There were many positive comments from speakers, including the retiring SCEN President Lord Wilson of Tillyorn. Both Scottish and Hong Kong students can increase awareness and understanding of the Scots and Chinese language and culture, especially the life in Hong Kong.

Apart from students, Hong Kong teachers benefited a lot from this trip too! Through interacting with the teachers from our partner schools, we were inspired by their learning mode and pedagogies. We shared successful practices in our own school administration. We also discussed the arrangement of the upcoming events, such as the Scottish students' visit to Hong Kong. We are grateful for their great arrangements and hospitality.

We look forward to having another trip to Scotland soon!

Students' reflections :

Shall we talk?
By Adrian Ho Chun Hei, 4A

If you ask me what made the Scotland exchange trip the most memorable, I will definitely say that it was the host family experience. My host family treated me as if I were one of their family members, so I think I was very lucky. My buddy, Ben, was very shy at first, but I found that he is quite talkative and outgoing after I shadowed him at Liberton High School for a week. Although he paid much attention to his phone, we could chat non-stop if I started a conversation with him.

I think one of the biggest differences between the people in Hong Kong and Scotland is their habit of reading. Reading is very popular among Scottish in their spare time. For instance, I found that lots of people like reading on bus in Scotland. In Hong Kong, people just keep texting, playing phone games or browsing different social media on their phones when they are on public transport. I guess that’s why most foreigners possess a wide range of knowledge in different aspects. Another difference is that people in Hong Kong seldom show gratitude to the drivers on public transport whereas the Westerners show a totally different attitude. They even say thank you to the bus driver before they get off the bus.

All the people in Hong Kong have a hectic life. Even though Hong Kong is just a tiny place, the people here seem to have distant relationships. People in Scotland like to have more interactions with the people around, not just to their family members and friends. I was surprised that they could even initiate a casual chat on the bus with someone they didn’t know. People in Hong Kong may think that it is odd and embarrassing to do so. I feel sad that the growing popularity of smartphones has become a barrier for people to communicate in Hong Kong. I hope everyone can put down their phones and enjoy the time with the ones they love.

My Unforgettable Memories in Scotland
By Amy Wong Wing Yi, 4A

I am so blessed that I can join this Scotland Study Trip. It was such a fantastic experience!

At school, my buddy, Flavie, accompanied me to various lessons such as Chemistry, Religious Studies (RS) and Craft, etc. RS is a new subject to me. We talked about euthanasia and we role-played different stakeholders such as doctors and lawyers to better understand the issue. It was quite erudite.

At home, my host family was very nice to me and they took good care of me. Their children were friendly and they kept asking me to play games with them. We had lots of fun. My host family also has a cat and a rabbit. They are so adorable! Since my host family is from France, they cooked French food for me and it was yummy! I like it very much! My host family also showed me many special places in Scotland. They brought me to Carlton Hill on the second day. Although it was difficult for me to climb up the hill, I felt excited as the views up there were fabulous! They also brought me to the Portobello Beach to celebrate the Bonfire Night. We kept walking along the beach to pick up some shells. It was so relaxing!

I also had a cultural visit to the Edinburgh Castle and the Royal Miles. I was amazed by the spectacular views at the castle. We watched the procession at the St Giles Cathedral. I like the music played by the band a lot.

Last but not least, I think the Youth Summit we joined was meaningful. I have known the importance of the cultural exchange between Scotland and China. We had our communication skills enhanced and made new friends of different nationalities. We have also learnt more about the cultures in different countries.

This trip was surely an impressive one! If I have a chance, I hope to visit Scotland again!

A Wonderful Trip to Scotland
By Crystal Poon Wing Yu, 4A

I enjoyed the trip to Scotland very much. It was such a fascinating and unforgettable experience for me.

I was surprised by the variety of lessons in the Liberton High School and I especially like the modern study class. In the class, we played different roles and discussed whether euthanasia should be legal from different points of view. It was so much fun.

My host family was quite nice. The most impressive thing was that I taught my host family to play 'Big Two'. We had a great time when we played card games together. I miss them very much.

We went to the Royal Mile for sightseeing during our stay in Edinburgh. The scenery there was breathtaking. The nearby buildings were old-fashioned and mesmerizing.

I have gained much from the 8th SCEN Youth Summit, in which students from Asia and Europe shared their experiences and feelings about the study trips they had in China. I had a wonderful time in Scotland and I will definitely visit Scotland again if I have a chance.

Great Host Family Experience in Scotland
By Elise Tsang Wing Yuet, 4A

Since it was my first time to have a homestay experience in a foreign country, I was very nervous at the beginning but my worries soon disappeared. My host family was nice to me. They made traditional Scottish breakfast and my favourite hot chocolate for me. They also brought me to different places such as the beach, café and some special shops in Scotland, etc. We even played card games together after dinner and I enjoyed every moment I stayed with them. I would never forget such a special host family experience in Scotland. I will keep in touch with them for sure!

When in Rome, do as the Romans do
By Jacky Tong King Laam, 4A

Trvaelling to Europe has always been my dream since I was small. The picturesque scenery in many European countries attracts me the most. I was so excited to have a chance to go to Scotland this November. It was my greatest honour to join this Exchange Trip.

I especially enjoyed the time I spent with my host family, the Gormleys. My host family brought me to a nearby beach on the Bonfire Night. Most of my classmates from Hong Kong were also there. We chatted and ran around the bonfire happily. Despite the freezing cold weather, the gentle heat of the bonfire warmed my heart. There were countless shiny sparks like fireflies fluttering around the bonfire. The children were chasing one another on the beach cheerfully. With the colorful and amazing fireworks above us, I could hardly describe how beautiful the picture was in words. Although I had already worn the warmest clothes I had, I still couldn’t bear the extreme coldness. Unfortunately, I got sick the next day. I had to leave school early and Mrs Gormley picked me up from school and I had to rest at home. After a long sleep, I finally felt much better.

Another thing I found special was the traditional Scottish meal with Haggis. My host family strongly advised me to try it. Although I was not fond of it (especially after knowing what it is made of!), I still gave it a try. We played some board games and video games after dinner. We also shared with each other our daily life and culture in our home countries. I am fascinated by how relaxing life is in Scotland. I am so thankful to have met such a kind host family during my stay.

All in all, the whole trip was meaningful and unforgettable. If I have a chance, I will go to Scotland and visit my host family again!

My Amazing Journey to Scotland
By Susan Chang Kiu Yan, 4A

Last month, I went to Scotland for a school trip with five classmates. We each had a buddy with whom we had lessons with at school. The experiences were really special.

In the school, students are not classified by classes. They do not have a home classroom. Instead, they go to different classrooms for different lessons on their own. Whether they are junior or senior form students, they can choose their own electives. Junior form students have 5 electives. They take electives like PE, French, Spanish, etc., which most schools in Hong Kong do not offer. Another difference is that students can use their phones freely at school. There are not any restrictions to the use of mobile phones at school. They can even use their phones during lessons! Sometimes they use their phones to search for extra information or check the difficult words in the online dictionary, but sometimes they are just playing phone games or texting on their phones. Besides, they have very different courses from us. My buddy is a form three student. I was shocked by what they were learning in biology lessons when I followed her to class. They are learning propagation, which I haven't learnt in my school yet. I could hardly understand anything in the class. However, the things they learnt in Chemistry lessons were easy to me as I learnt that when I was in form three. Besides, the mathematics they do is really simple. They are still learning fractional operations, which we learnt in primary three in Hong Kong. More importantly, they have nearly no homework from school! Therefore, I think their school life is much more relaxing than ours.

Apart from learning something new at school, another highlight of this trip was the host family experience. Since the original host family was not able to take care of me during my whole stay, I had to stay with another host family for a few days. My first host family is my buddy's family. She has one sister and one brother, who are both nice to me. I even had a little fun game in the spare time with them. We went to a Halloween party together on the first day I arrived and we had great fun there. We watched a fire dance performance there and that was really special. On the next day, we went bowling together with my host family, my buddy's friend and some of my classmates. We had a lot of fun there and it was a fabulous day. I lived in a teacher's home for some of the days. On the first day I moved to her house, we went to watch the fireworks on Bonfire Night, which is a festival celebrated in the UK. We chatted and had some snacks around the bonfire and had a great time. The host family is really caring and loving. They even gave me special Scottish gifts.

On the second last day of our trip, we joined the 8th SCEN Youth Summit. The participants included Scottish students who had been to China or had been learning Mandarin and students and teachers from Hong Kong and Scotland. The Scottish students shared their experiences staying in China and their feeling towards Chinese culture. I was surprised that some of them could even speak fluent Mandarin! My group from Hong Kong presented the similarities and differences between Hong Kong and Scotland. We have learnt a lot in the conference and I found that so many foreigners are interested in learning Chinese language and culture. I feel that the gap between the two countries is becoming narrower.