Ms Alice Li Yuen-ying and Ms Emily Cheung Yu-yi, two students from the Bachelor of Education (Honours) (Business, Accounting and Financial Studies) (BEd(BAFS)) programme,  Mr Cloof Siu Chun-ping, a student from the Bachelor of Education (Honours) (Secondary) – Information and Communication Technology (BEd(S)-ICT) programme and Mr Chris Ho Chun-hong from the Bachelor of Education (Honours) (Primary) - General Studies (BEd(P)-GS)  programme, were awarded Gold Awards in the “Twelfth Hong Kong Outstanding Prospective Teachers Award” competition. Their success highlights the effectiveness of our programmes in training high-quality educators.
 
The competition, jointly organised by the Hong Kong New Generation Cultural Association and the Hong Kong Prospective Teachers Association and sponsored by the Tin Ka Ping Foundation, took place from January to April 2025. A panel comprising education professionals and school principals evaluated 147 nominations from various higher education institutions across Hong Kong. Following multiple rounds of assessments and interviews, the panel conferred ten gold, ten silver, ten bronze, and eighteen merit awards based on the nominee’s vision, moral character, educational aspirations, societal commitment, and teaching abilities.
 
Ms Alice Li Yuen-yin shared her delight in participating in the competition. “I learnt a great deal from my peers and the experienced principals on the judging panel about applying educational theories and strategies to enhance student engagement and learning outcomes. Their insightful feedback not only boosted my confidence in teaching but also strengthened my professional skills for my future career,” Alice said.
 
Ms Emily Cheung Yu-yi, another Gold Award winner from the BEd(BAFS) programme, reflected on the competition as an opportunity to consolidate the knowledge and skills she acquired over five years. “In the final assessment round, I delivered a 10-minute mock teaching lesson before a panel of school principals. Although presenting before veteran educators made me nervous, I appreciated their valuable feedback on my lesson plan and teaching philosophy,” Emily said.
 
Mr Cloof Siu Chun-ping from the BEd(S)-ICT programme expressed pride in representing FLASS and EdUHK in this meaningful event. “Technology is transforming our world. To prepare our future generation for these monumental changes, science and technology education is indispensable. I will seize every opportunity to share my knowledge in ICT and other emerging technologies through extracurricular courses and experiential learning activities, particularly n secondary schools,” Cloof said.
 
Reflecting on the selection process, Mr Chris Ho Chun-hong from the BEd(P)-GS programme described the final round of assessment as particularly challenging. “During the mock lesson, I asked the panel of three experienced headteachers questions to gauge their understanding of my teaching. One of the judges deliberately gave an incorrect answer to test my immediate response. Fortunately, I recalled what I had learnt at EdUHK and successfully guided the ‘naughty’ student back on track,” Chris said. In addition to testing his ability to respond swiftly to unexpected answers, the panel also questioned Chris on current educational issues and policies.
 
“I would like to extend my sincere congratulations to Alice, Emily, Cloof, and Chris for a job well-done. The competition was intense, as all 147 participants made great efforts to showcase their teaching knowledge and skills. Our students have demonstrated extensive subject knowledge and exceptional dedication to teaching throughout the competition. Their achievements underscore the success of our programmes in cultivating competent future educators,” said Professor Li Wai-keung, Dean of FLASS. 
 
The award-presentation ceremony for the “Twelfth Hong Kong Outstanding Prospective Teachers Award” was held on 5 April 2025. Gold winners received HK$5,000, while silver and bronze recipients were awarded HK$3,000 and HK$1,000, respectively, along with trophies and certificates.
 
FLASS students bagged a total of seven awards, including four gold awards, two silver awards and one merit award.