IMAGINE YOUNG STUDENTS dressing up as seals, flapping their arms and feeling what it is like to move around while carrying a huge layer of blubber. Entertaining though it may be, there is a serious educational purpose.
'Learning should be fun,' says Suzanne Gendron, Director of Zoological Operations and Education at Ocean Park. 'It is important to engage hearts and minds and inspire lifelong learning and an appreciation of nature.'
Ms Gendron was speaking to principals and their delegates from more than 50 schools at the launch last Saturday of Hong Kong's Ocean Park Academy and its new education programme offered in alliance with the Books Festival entitled 'Enjoy Learning in Nature'.
'Over 40 per cent of Hong Kong is country parks. But how many people take advantage? Research shows that learning is most effective when students not only see an animal or plant, but when someone tells them about it. Information is good, inspiration is better.'
Ocean Park was established in 1977 on more than 870,000 square metres of land in Aberdeen on the south side of the island as a non-profit organisation, and is better known as a place for family fun for Hong Kongers and tourists alike. It has attracted more than three million visitors so far. But it also began with a mandate for conservation, the appreciation of nature and education, and has had tuition programmes for more than 12 years, catering for well in excess of 300,000 students.
Ms Gendron stresses the academy sees itself working closely as a partner with Hong Kong schools. 'We want to provide a comprehensive set of learning activities for students of all ages in a way that they can feed back into their own schools using games and contextual, experiential and interactive experiences.' It is in line with more active teaching approaches favoured by the Education and Manpower Bureau. 'Ocean Park is a huge natural classroom.' she says.