15th May, 2021 was a very special day for HKUGA Primary School. We hosted a professional sharing with focus on how we embed Positive Education in every facet of our school – from learning and teaching and student development. Presentations from our teachers, and guest speakers from invited schools and the HKUGA College provided rich and invigorating experiences for all participants as they heard about how character strengths and growth mindset can be infused in our students’ daily learning, how the six domains in Positive Education drive the planning and development of student activities, and how parents support and reinforce our ethos in their homes.

Although the Symposium took place during the uncertainties of the pandemic, there was an extremely positive turnout rate of 82% and 153 teachers from 52 schools. Their presence was a testimony to the building of their commitment to promoting the well-being and learning of their students. 90% of the participants indicated that they found the sharing useful, practical and helped them in implementing Positive Education in their own contexts.

As the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD, 2005) notes, “Effective professional development is on-going, includes training, practice and feedback, and provides adequate time and follow-up support. Successful programmes involve teachers in learning activities that are similar to ones they will use with their students, and encourage the development of teachers’ learning communities. There is growing interest in developing schools as learning organisations, and in ways for teachers to share their expertise and experience more systematically.”

LETS PosED has hopefully initiated the start of a community of education practitioners who, in their sharing of challenges and successes, strive to develop the well-being of each and every one of their students and teach them to flourish intellectually, emotionally, socially and physically.