Due to the pandemic, Robocup@Home Education 2020 came in the form of an online challenge. After the first round of technical review, our school team won the qualification to participate in the challenge.  The online challenge was held from June 25 to 28, 2020.  Teams came from around the world, showcasing home service robot technologies and their applications, including image recognition, voice control, indoor navigation, automatic obstacle avoidance, etc.

Our school team’s invention employs humanoid identification and tracking functions to enable robots to follow the elderly in their daily walks; it also assists the elderly with heavy objects, reminds them to bring their personal belongings, and helps to monitor their health conditions and seek help when necessary.     

The team also wishes to take this opportunity to promote the development of home service robots.  It is hoped that image recognition can help to integrate robots into our daily lives and enable robots to better understand their surroundings. 

The student inventors won the Open Platform Junior Category Gold Award in the competition.  The award winners included Senior 1 students Mok Chi Kin, Lei In Hei and Sin Ka Chon and Junior 2 student Leong Chi Io.  Below is the link to the students’ demonstration film:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZaf27DDgyM&feature=youtu.be

The awards ceremony for the 25^th Macau Secondary School Post-Reading Reflection Writing Competition was held this afternoon.  Junior 3A student Han Lang won the championship in the Junior High Category with his “My love for my homeland – thoughts after reading The Autobiography of Ba Jin”.  He gave a speech on behalf of the Junior High Category.  Junior 2A student Wong Hou Cheng won the Merit Award in the Junior High Category.  Senior 1C student Tou U Kit came in as the first runner-up in the Senior High Category with her “Thoughts after reading Sophie’s World”.  Senior 2A student Xiang Yifan came in as the second runner-up in the Senior High Category with her “Where time is, I am”.  Senior 1A student Mok Chi Kin, Senior 1B student Lam Teng Kit, Senior 1E student Or Chin Wai, Senior 2D student Chan Hou Chai and Senior 3B student Ho Iok Weng won the Merit Award in the Senior High Category.

Kind-hearted people from all walks of life have been donating epidemic resources to Pui Ching, such as facemasks and sanitizers. 

Chairman of the Macao Pui Ching Alumni Association General Assembly Mr. Mok Chi Wai, Chairman of the Board of Directors Mr. Wong Hon Kin, Assembly Supervisor Ms. Wong Mou Cheng and the vice-presidents of the assembly visited the school yesterday to make donations to the school. The alumni association also called on alumni to support their alma mater in whatever ways they can.  The school introduced its preparations for school resumption.  During the school suspension period, teachers at Pui Ching designed online curricula and engaged in various teaching activities.  At the same time, the school held various online conferences to stay in touch with teachers to keep track of student progress and made thorough discussions on assessment methods. 

The school strengthened its various sanitary facilities, installing additional wash basins and improving washroom facilities, and conducted exercises for the resumption of school.  The school also set up a bursary for students whose families are affected by the epidemic.

Principal Kou thanked all sectors of society for their support.  During the epidemic, Pui Ching received many donations from alumni, parents and various organizations.  Many thanks to everyone for their generosity!

Principal Kou Kam Fai was invited to the 2020 China Education Symposium and gave a speech on STEM and Innovative Education. He also answered questions from fellow participants and shared his insights on the subject.  The event attracted a 3,000-member audience.

Founded in 2010, the annual symposium is one of the most well-established and well-known events on China education among North American colleges and universities. The symposium aims to gather education practitioners, academics, policymakers and people from all walks of life, promote discussions about education, and present progress in the field.  This year marks the 11^th forum.  Due to the global epidemic caused by the novel coronavirus, the symposium this year was held online from April 18 to 20, Beijing time, at the same time as the east coast of the U.S. 

The theme of this forum is "Breaking Barriers: An In-depth Dialogue—Opportunities and Prospects of Education in China". There are eight themed activities and three special events. Thirty-seven scholars and practitioners in the education industry from China and abroad are invited to share their experience in education. In the area of STEM and innovative education, scholars engaged in discussions on two topics: "Innovations in Education" and "The Support of Leading Technologies".  Principal Kou Kam Fai delivered a speech on "STEM Opens Doors for Talents in the New Era of Education: The Experience of Macau Pui Ching Middle School”.  He analyzed current views on talent from a macro-perspective and expounded on the role of formative education in the cultivation of talents.  Principal Kou shared how Pui Ching fosters talents who are versed in traditional Chinese culture and innovative technology through moral education, the school’s regular curriculum and extra-curricular activities.  Principal Kou also shared the founding philosophy of Pui Ching, its development and the outcomes of its curriculum reforms.

Speakers at the symposium discussed STEM and innovative education in China and the U.S. as well as its integration with a traditional, full-time school model.  They also engaged in exchanges over the status quo of education in China, curriculum design, professional development, operational management, quality assessment and the future of education.  Principal Kou expressed that the significance of the symposium is two-fold: it allowed Pui Ching to showcase the development of Macau’s innovative education and gave Pui Ching the opportunity to bring back invaluable experience from other schools and countries.  The use of technology in teaching during the epidemic also served as an important lesson on teaching beyond the barriers of the classroom.