Zippy heads East as programme expansion continues
Hong Kong has become the latest place to launch Zippy's Friends, with an ambitious to plan to train 660 teachers over the next five years. The programme has been translated into Chinese, the first teachers have just been trained, and classes will start next month in ten kindergartens and ten primary schools.The programme is being managed by the School of Early Childhood Education at The Hong Kong Institute of Education, which works to promote the status and quality of education in Hong Kong. President Prof Paul Morris said that, despite the rising problems faced by young children, Hong Kong lacks systematic programmes to enhance their emotional and social well-being.
'The Institute has always been a strong advocate for the whole-person development of children, and so we have no hesitation in taking up the challenge of enhancing our children's emotional and social competence by running Zippy's Friends,' he said.
A first training course for 24 Institute staff (right) was held in early December, led by Partnership for Children's Chris Bale and Caroline Egar. This has laid the foundation for expansion over the next five years, during which time well over 10,000 children will benefit from the programme.The launch of the programme in Hong Kong has been made possible by a generous grant of HK$3.6 million (US$460,000) from The Hongkong Bank Foundation.
At a launch ceremony earlier this month (right), Foundation Chairman David Eldon said: 'We see Zippy's Friends as an investment in the future well-being of Hong Kong. It is an investment with significant educational returns. The fact that this is also the single largest donation made by the Hongkong Bank Foundation in 2004 reinforces our commitment to what we believe is an extremely worthwhile initiative.'Hong Kong's education system has traditionally focused heavily on academic performance, and it will be interesting to see the response to a programme that concentrates instead on promoting children's mental health and emotional wellbeing. The Institute's Dr Grace Lam is leading a team that will evaluate both the implementation and impact of the programme.
Speaking at the launch ceremony, Chris Bale said: 'We pay a lot of attention to our children's academic results - getting them into the best schools, encouraging them to study hard, even hiring special tutors. But academic intelligence has little to do with a person's ability to make good relationships and live a happy, fulfilled life. Good exam results don't guarantee happiness.'
In a related development, a private foundation in Hong Kong has given a grant to pay for new DVDs and videos about Zippy's Friends, in English and Cantonese. One will be an introduction to the programme, and the other will be used in teacher training, giving teachers a chance to see classes in action.
> Read more about the School of Early Childhood Education and Zippy's Friends in Hong Kong