With the aim of cultivating young people’s interest in and sense of responsibility towards public issues, Saint Paul School, Macau and Pui Va Middle School of Macau held a collaborative exchange day on October 24 at Saint Paul School’s campus.
According to a statement released on that day, the event - themed around UNESCO Global Media and Information Literacy Week, an annual international initiative observed from October 24 to 31 to promote critical thinking, digital rights, and the ethical use of information - also aimed to expand students’ opportunities to practise English and foster inter-school ties.
The statement noted that the exchange centred on English language communication, inter-school collaboration, critical thinking, and responsible expression. Through English club experience-sharing sessions, student-led campus tours, themed ice-breaking games, and a visual co-creation workshop, students from both schools used English in genuine interactive settings to talk about their experiences of building student societies and to explore how information is selected, presented, understood, and disseminated.
The activities integrated media and information literacy into concrete tasks. Guiding students through everyday forms of expression - including name tags, character descriptions, news framing, image creation, and exhibition texts - the sessions encouraged reflection on identity presentation, information credibility, differing viewpoints, and communication ethics. Working through mixed grouping, relay-style creation, English-guided tours, and impromptu Q&A sessions, students jointly completed themed works, putting into practice the annual event motif: “We All Share Responsibility”.
Three Pui Va Middle School of Macau students reflected on the day. Kyle Chu Tsz Wang said that from their very first meeting, participants plunged into an English reasoning game, noting that interactive learning was far more enjoyable than listening to a one-way lecture. She added that she came away appreciating everyone’s duty to discern the authenticity of online content.
Venus Ao Ieong Pui Kei admitted that whilst speaking English with peers from another school felt awkward at first, participants gradually warmed to one another. Discovering like-minded peers outside her own school broadened her horizons, and she pledged to verify information before forwarding it in future.
Alex Chong Seng Hin said that by speaking up and trying harder during the activity, he came to appreciate the appeal of English. All three students noted that through drawing and dividing tasks within their groups, they effectively conveyed the theme of shared responsibility. They also expressed admiration for the St Paul’s students’ confidence, composure, clear division of labour, and creativity.
Three Saint Paul School students also gave their thoughts. Musa Lei Iek Lam said the most enjoyable aspect was seeing her classmates move from shy to relaxed and friendly. She took the initiative to chat with others, acting as a communication bridge, and felt that genuine interaction was more valuable than classroom grammar lessons.
Sabina Ieong Cheng said the activity encouraged everyone to speak entirely in English, praising the host students for their thorough preparation and lively atmosphere.
Koko Wong Ka Chon recalled how memorable it was to personally resolve an issue during a presentation malfunction, adding that he learnt to accommodate differing opinions online and verify sources before drawing conclusions. All three Saint Paul students said they had gained a sense of enthusiasm, strong communication skills, and a well-prepared attitude from their Pui Va peers.
Chris Chou Ion Pang, an English language teacher at Pui Va Middle School, said that the event’s co-ordination emphasised anxiety reduction, game-based learning, and peer support so that both Pui Va and Saint Paul students felt the activity was in a party room rather than a traditional classroom. Small tasks helped build a sense of achievement and broke down the barrier of being afraid to make mistakes. He also added that the media literacy component trained students to distinguish fact from opinion, prioritising self-expression over strict grammar to encourage independent critical thinking in an age of information overload.
Bonnie Kou Pui Ieng, an English language teacher at Saint Paul School, said that teachers from both schools first outlined the event format before brainstorming with students to refine the plan through multiple rounds of feedback. She observed that although students are exposed to media literacy concepts, they often copy and paste when completing homework; she hoped this practical exercise would foster true fact-checking abilities.
Vice Principal of Pui Va Middle School Mary Sun said the cross-school initiative stemmed from a shared commitment to enhancing English language proficiency and peer learning. She expressed her hope of establishing a long-term cooperation mechanism with Saint Paul School in the future.
Curriculum Director of Saint Paul School Philip Lai Pak Cheong added that the heads of both English panels had independently wished to launch inter-school activities, making the first day of Global Media and Information Literacy Week an ideal occasion for students to learn event planning, problem-solving, and second-language communication.
Teachers and students from Pui Va Middle School and Saint Paul School pose during October 24th exchange day on Saint Paul School’s campus. Photos courtesy of Pui Va Middle School.
Saint Paul School students Koko Wong Ka Chon (left) and Sabina Ieong Cheng talk to the Post on October 24.
Pui Va Middle School student Kyle Chu Tsz Wang (centre), Alex Chong Seng Hin (left) and Venus Ao Ieong Pui Kei pose before talking to the Post.
Saint Paul School student Koko Wong Ka Chon conducts a school tour on the campus for students come from Pui Va Middle School.
Students from Pui Va Middle School and Saint Paul School participate an ice breaking game.
