More than 1,100 Hong Kong young people apply to ‘be a government official for a day’
Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po and Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah, as well as the chiefs of other 13 bureaus, all taking part in the scheme
More than 1,100 Hong Kong secondary students are vying to be among 32 selected for a “once-in a-lifetime” opportunity to shadow the city’s top officials and see how they carry out their daily duties.
Applications from Form Four and Five students for the new government programme, called “Be a Government Official for a Day”, closed last Friday.
A spokesman for the Chief Secretary’s Office said it was “glad to receive a positive response” to the programme.
“The [secretariat] is verifying the applications received and will invite suitable applicants who passed the initial screening to a face-to-face meeting to be held by the end of May.”
‘No political screening’ for Hong Kong government mentoring programme
When Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung announced the scheme last month, he promised that the officials taking part would “share with the students our experience in learning and our careers, as well as personal growth”.
Cheung in his blog said it would be “a once-in-a-lifetime memorable experience” for the students. The students, roughly between the ages of 15 and 16, would need to be recommended by their schools.