Take a break
Instead of sitting in a boring classroom, students can now take a well-deserved break with outdoor lessons at Ocean Park.
The Ocean Park Academy, Hong Kong (OPA), set up in September, is offering a wide range of programmes which aims to help students learn about nature, biology, physics and mathematics at the Aberdeen complex.
Participants get a chance to visit areas that are off limits to tourists and have close encounters with animals, such as a baby dolphin which was born a month ago.
So far, more than 4,100 students, from kindergarten to secondary level, have taken part in special tours organised by the OPA.
'I've been to the Shark Aquarium and Dolphin University. The staff showed us how they train the dolphins to perform and how they cure the sick ones. It enhanced my knowledge of the animals,' said Veronica Lee On-lau, 16, a Form Five student.
Veronica plans to join some of the other courses offered by the OPA together with her friends. 'This allows us to gain knowledge through participation rather than reading books, which is so dull,' she said.
OPA programmes are divided into five categories: 'Plankton' for kindergarten; 'Shell' (Primary One to Three); 'Crab' (Primary Four to Six); 'Octopus' (Secondary One to Three); and 'Whale' (Secondary Four and Five).
Participants can visit the habitats of different animals such as pandas, dolphins, butterflies and seals to learn more about them, conduct simple experiments and play games. At a higher level, students learn physics principles from rides such as the Dragon roller-coaster and The Mine Train.
Course fees range from $50 to $120 per student.
Besides, the OPA has a credit system for its courses.
At a graduation ceremony in June or July, the students and schools with the highest number of credits will receive special recognition.
The OPA last week hosted its first Open Day which attracted more than 300 students and parents.
At the ceremony, animals such as sea lion Victory and twin baby owls, Bai Bo and Siu Bo, were introduced to visitors to offer them a glimpse of how interesting the programmes can be.
Ocean Park chief executive Tom Mehrmann says the OPA aims to provide a fun, educational experience to the students.
'We believe that education should be conducted in an enjoyable environment,' he says.
Canto-pop star Gigi Leung Wing-kei, the OPA's Education Ambassador, hopes the programmes will teach children to respect
animals and preserve the natural environment.
'There are so many skyscrapers in Hong Kong that children seldom have a chance to get close to nature,' says Leung. 'It's good for them to have a break at Ocean Park.'
