Page 15 - 維多利亞教育機構55周年紀念特刊

Professor A. Lin Goodwin

Dean and Professor of Education
Faculty of Education
The University of Hong Kong

In 1962, 58 three- and four-year-olds, considered to be at risk for school failure, were randomly assigned to receive
high-quality pre-school programming. For four decades, this group of 58 was followed into adulthood to assess the
impact of early childhood education, as compared to 65 of their peers not randomly assigned to the same curriculum.
This trail-blazing research, the High/Scope Perry Pre-School Study, was revolutionary because it unequivocally
demonstrated the positive—and dramatic—effects of quality early childhood education along multiple dimensions
(academic, social, economic, etc.), not just for the programme participants as they matured into adults, but for their
children and for their communities!

Victoria Educational Organisation (VEO) advanced the revolution by bringing those cutting-edge ideas to Hong Kong.
For 55 years, VEO has been a pioneer and standard-bearer in early childhood education, embracing what is common
knowledge today—that the early years are a crucial period for development, and that excellent pre-school education
enables young children to build strong academic, social and emotional foundations that will serve them all their lives.
For over half a century, VEO has been a model of exemplary early childhood education, designing and implementing
student-centred, content-rich, experiential curriculum that engages young minds through creative play, the arts,
technology and real-world enquiry. It has led the way in bi- and tri-lingual education by initiating collaborative, co-
teaching kindergarten environments where native Chinese- and English-speaking educators work together to holistically
develop young multi-language learners. VEO has also brought many innovative practices to Hong Kong such as process
writing, maker education and STEAM education, partnering with internationally renowned organisations, including
Project Zero at Harvard Graduate School of Education and the Teachers College Reading Writing Project at Columbia
University, to experiment with new pedagogies and technologies that face forward and equip children to be the thinkers
and problem-solvers we need to lead the future.

Without question, ensuring that young children have access to first-rate pre-school education makes sense in every
sense; it is an essential early investment with life-long returns that benefit the individual and society as a whole. This has
been VEO’s mission, one that it has richly achieved, yet one that it will continue to strive towards. Congratulations to the
Victoria Educational Organisation on making a difference in the lives of children—and their families—through excellent
education, caring teachers, and fresh approaches to nurturing young minds. May the next 55 years be even more
meaningful, successful and groundbreaking.

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