STUDENTS should face the various challenges they were to come across after their graduation with perseverance and work hard for a bright future, Wong Tai Sin District Officer Richard Luk Fong-chun said. Speaking at the joint speech day of the Confucian Academy held at Tai Shing Primary School in Wong Tai Sin, Mr Luk noted that in a society like Hong Kong, where communication networks developed so rapidly, knowledge expanded at a surprisingly high speed. Finishing secondary school marked the end of one learning phase and the beginning of another. 'Only through steady learning and self-advancement can we cater for the ever-changing needs of our society,' Mr Luk said. He also urged graduates to learn to care and show concern for others. 'You learn to care and love through being loved at home. You lend support to those in need and make the world a better place to live in.' Five Confucian schools took part in the ceremony - they were the Confucian Tai Shing School, Confucian Tai Shing Primary School, Confucian Tai Shing Evening School, Confucian Sam Lok Chow Mud Wai Primary School and Confucian Ho Kwok Pui Chun College. About 800 graduates received certificates this year. Mr Luk also presented academic awards and scholarships to outstanding students. The president of the Confucian Academy and supervisor of the five schools, Mr Wong Wan-tin, said that promoting Confucian teachings and education had been the objective of the academy since its establishment in 1930. Mr Wong advised the graduates to always remember the Confucian principle of 'cultivating oneself in moral character' and not to forget about its teachings. 'In order to promote Confucian teachings and expose students to Chinese culture, Chinese classics are included in the curriculum,' Mr Wong said.