Early childhood education in Hong Kong mostly developed after the Second World War. It then expanded hugely in the 1970s with the school attendance rate for children aged 3-5 rising from 55% in 1971 to 83% in 1981. Today the kindergarten is part of nearly everyone’s childhood experience in Hong Kong. From September 2017 on, kindergarten education has been provided free-of-charge to Hong Kong children taking half-day classes. This is therefore an opportune time for the Hong Kong Museum of Education to mount the exhibition Early Learning in Hong Kong – Past and Present.

Each of us has early learning experiences that are in some way unique, but we also have in common how such images of our past are formative, powerful and life-long. The first part of the exhibition captures these collective memories through the display of past and present objects marking these first steps away from the familiar world of family and home. The second part focusses on a brief history of the development of early childhood education and associated teacher training in Hong Kong.

Presented by:
The Education University of Hong Kong

Organised by:
Hong Kong Museum of Education

Supported by:
Department of Early Childhood Education, EdUHK
The EdUHK Early Childhood Learning Centre
EdUHK Library