CUHK
News Centre

There is increasing demand for professional early childhood educators following the implementation of the 15-year free education policy and the Free Quality Kindergarten Education Scheme in Hong Kong. Society in general and the education sector in particular are concerned with the training and quality of early childhood educators. 

In response to the latest development and needs of early childhood education, the Faculty of Education of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) will launch a full-time Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood Education) Degree Programme (JUPAS code : JS4372) in the 2019-20 academic year. Through this Programme, the Faculty aims to nurture high quality kindergarten teachers and early childhood educators in Hong Kong. 

The five-year full-time Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood Education) Degree Programme has an annual admission intake of 18-22 students. Major required courses cover a series of thematic areas, including the social and emotional development of children, physical development and health, nutrition and safety, language and literacy development, numeracy and technology, and supporting pre-school children with special educational needs. 

Through a multi-disciplinary approach, the Programme aims to inspire teacher creativity and cultivate a high standard of professional ethics among future early childhood educators. Among the required elective courses, students are required to take courses from different academic units of CUHK. Examples are Citizenship Education, Introduction to Psychology, Contemporary Early Childhood Education Issues and Teaching Methods with Vocal Studies and Musical Instruments. 

After completing the Programme, graduates are eligible to apply for teaching positions in local or international kindergartens, nursery schools, or any other related positions in early childhood settings. Graduates may also consider pursuing postgraduate studies in education or other related disciplines. 

Professor Alvin S. M. Leung, Dean of Education of CUHK said, “Riding on the experience of offering early childhood education programmes and conducting diverse research and development projects in early childhood settings, the Faculty of Education of CUHK has the staff capacity, curriculum knowledge and teaching facilities in place to offer the full-time Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood Education) Degree Programme. In order to nurture future early childhood educators, the Programme adopts a multi-disciplinary approach to develop its curriculum and promotes theory-practice integration through diverse learning experiences in field settings.”

Programme Features
There are five features in the Programme: 

1. Whole-Child Development

The course curriculum covers the whole spectrum of child development in theory and practice, including physical, cognitive, language, affective, social and aesthetic development. 

2. Home-School-Community Collaboration

The importance of context and environment to child development and education is one of the main programme emphases. Students will acquire skills to work and collaborate with parents, family members and community stakeholders to create an enabling environment to facilitate healthy development. 

3. Children with Special Learning Needs

Students will learn about the different types of special educational needs of children. They will be equipped with the knowledge and competencies to plan and implement a curriculum based on the special learning, emotional and behavioral needs of children. 

4. Research and Inquiry Skills

Two capstone courses on research inquiry are included in the required major courses. Through these courses, students will conduct guided research studies on contemporary education issues in early childhood settings using their knowledge and critical thinking skills. 

5. Theories and Practice Integration

Students are required to complete supervised teaching practice and to apply what they have learned in a classroom setting. The Programme also provides internship as an elective course for students to gain professional experience in early-childhood settings. 

For further information on the Programme, please refer to Appendix.