Arts education benefited young people's development and was important for a knowledge-based economy, said Hong Kong Arts Development Council chairman Dr Patrick Ho Chi-ping.
Dr Ho was speaking at a conference to promote better understanding of recent developments in arts education in the Asia-Pacific region.
An arts education resource exhibition, art demonstrations and workshops had been organised in conjunction with the conference.
In addition, a large-scale Asia-Pacific Students Arts Exhibition was held at the Hong Kong Visual Arts Centre, Hong Kong Heritage Museum and Hong Kong Institute of Education (HKIEd). It featured 554 works from China, Taiwan, Japan, Singapore, Australia and Hong Kong.
A total of 170 artworks by local young people were selected from the 2000 Hong Kong Students Art Competition. The artwork by students from kindergartens, primary and secondary schools included drawings, paintings, prints and computer work.
Dr Ho said education reform could either be an exciting process in the new millennium, or an uninspiring routine that would drive teachers, students and parents mad. However, he said the conference demonstrated that people shared a positive outlook to face future challenges.
