Kellett, as part of its efforts to enrich the curriculum beyond traditionally-examined subjects, has launched a Sustainability course for Years 10-11. Composed of two key components, Oceanography and Innovation, the course is centred around the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Closely interlinked the two strands culminate in an option for students to complete an HPQ (equivalent to half a GCSE), as well as a student-led conference where they present to fellow students, staff and parents.
The Oceanography strand will focus on coral conservation, given the loss of habitat and biodiversity to the Hong Kong marine eco-system. The course builds upon existing reef restoration efforts at Kellett, which grows coral in tanks on the school campus, for replanting along Hong Kong’s shorelines.
Meanwhile Innovation, a subject already taught in many year groups from Years 5 up, is composed of student-led projects which seek to make a contribution to the SDGs. Importantly, the projects give students an opportunity to develop and test their ideas, failing and refining, building skills essential for the world of work, such as resilience and project management.
Principal & CEO, Mark Steed, summed up the thinking behind the new course, ‘We are a school known for excellent exam results but schools are in the future business, which means we need to prepare students for life beyond university. Examinations focus on testing comprehension and content, and we aim to extend this to teach skills and traits that best prepare children for their future outside of formal education.’
