The Year 10 LegCo Field Trip

By Chi Yan Ng and Elaine Law

The LegCo legislative chamber.

On January 17th and 31st, 2024, Year 10 students went on a field trip to the Hong Kong Legislative Council. They participated in a “historical walk” organised by the I&S teachers and learnt all about Hong Kong’s legislative systems through an informative tour.

As the LegCo venue could not accommodate the sheer number of students in Year 10, those attending the trip were split into two groups: one would participate in the historical walk first, and one would experience the LegCo tour first.

The Historical Walk

Historical walk? More like a scavenger hunt! Students were split into groups of three to four and given a map of different “checkpoints” around the Central and Admiralty area related to British colonialism. They also received a document with hints for each checkpoint. With less than an hour to visit all ten checkpoints, each filled with information regarding the colonial history of Hong Kong, students immediately raced off in different directions. Students were encouraged to find traces of colonialism on the sites, such as the Duddell gas lamps, St. John’s Cathedral, trams, and even the lions in front of the HSBC bank! This experience was beneficial for students studying Hong Kong’s history. Being physically there and independently navigating the landmarks made the experience immersive and exciting, and it was far better than just sitting in a classroom and learning about these sites using a slideshow! As Ms. Baker has said, “It’s good we're not just teaching, but going and seeing, and getting students able to physically see all the physical things in central Hong Kong that connect to colonialism.”

However, one future improvement to note is that the experience would be significantly improved if a higher quality map was provided, as almost all groups headed back to the starting point instead of the end point when finishing their course. A higher quality map would provide students with more details of places they could explore. Moreover, more time could have been allocated for this activity, as students did not have the time to explore the site fully. However, overall, it was a successful trial run by the I&S department, and the students enjoyed this walk!

The LegCo tour

The LegCo tour began with a walk around the entire building, which included a gallery containing historical images from Hong Kong, beginning in 1843. These historical images portray the significant changes that Hong Kong island has experienced. Additionally, we got to learn about the roles and responsibilities of LegCo, such as passing bills and making laws. But the most memorable experience for the students was when we were allowed to set foot into the meeting chamber!

Students had the amazing opportunity to watch the council meeting from above, listen to their discussions and debates live, and gain more insight on the workings of LegCo. Watching these discussions was especially impactful for students interested in getting more involved with the community and politics in general. Ms. Baker again says “it's good we're not just teaching, but going and seeing.”

In conclusion

Overall, the LegCo field trip was a success, with students being able to gain valuable insight into the inner workings of the Legislative Council, as well as facilitating practical learning about Hong Kong’s colonial history. The field trip was truly able to provide a unique perspective that classroom learning cannot replicate, and we hope that students were able to have fun and learn something from this trip!