The first exhibition of the Hong Kong Museum of Education focuses on the early development of education in Hong Kong, and the establishment of formal teacher education. The exhibition is divided into four zones:

Zone 1 - The Development of Education in Hong Kong
This section explores the fascinating early history of education in Hong Kong. Well before the founding of Hong Kong as a British colony, clan study halls were established during the Northern Song through to the Qing dynasties, in what is now called the northern New Territories. The purpose of these study halls was to prepare promising young students for the Imperial Civil Service Examinations, bringing honour to their clans and villages if successful.

Following the imposition of British rule, a number of foreign institutions – such as churches and missionary societies – began to establish schools in Hong Kong. In the early years of colonial Hong Kong, religious bodies such as the Anglican Church and the London Missionary Society were the main providers of education, founding schools such as St. Paul’s College and Ying Wa College. Formal Government involvement in education in Hong Kong commenced with the establishment of the Central School in 1862, set up initially to train a bi-lingual elite.

The first zone in our exhibition traces the development of schools and education from these early beginnings through to pre- and post-Second World War reforms in the education system, and the establishment of the first teacher training institutions in Hong Kong.

Zone 2 - Teacher Training Colleges : Campuses & Curricula
The second zone in the exhibition features the establishment of the Teacher Training Colleges, as well precursors such as the Rural Training College. This ranges from the founding of the Northcote Training College in 1939, through to the Institute of Language in Education in 1982.
Panels in this section offer some brief background information on each of these colleges, as well as details of their campus locations and the curriculum taught at each institution. The text is illustrated by a number of images and artifacts, many drawn from the HKIED archive.

Zone 3 - Teacher Training Colleges : Cultural and Extra-Curricular Activities
The third section of the exhibition explores the range of activities and cultural events pursued at each of the Teacher Training Colleges, to offer some sense of campus life at the time. In the Teacher Training Colleges, students were enthusiastic about sports, drama, inter-collegiate competitions and other extra-curricular activities, and this is illustrated through the display of a diverse range of artifacts including sports trophies and a potter’s wheel.

Zone 4 - “Education Plus”: Towards a University of Education
The exhibition concludes with a showcase of the establishment of The Hong Kong Institute of Education, following the amalgamation of the former Teacher Training Colleges in 1994. This year marks the 15th anniversary of the Institute, as well as the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the Northcote Training College, the earliest of the five original Training Colleges and Institutes. In 2007, The Hong Kong Institute of Education set out a ten-year Development Blueprint, paving the way towards becoming a University of Education and expanding educational and research activities in the Asia-Pacific region.