Use the summer holidays for planning: A Guide to the AI for Empowering Learning and Teaching Funding Program: 5 Key School-Based Planning Tips for Educators

"The Essential Guide to AI Planning for Schools in Hong Kong"

[Abstract] The Education Bureau's "AI for Empowering Learning and Teaching Funding Programme" provides a one-off grant of HK$500,000 to all publicly funded primary and secondary schools in Hong Kong. This initiative aims to promote "AI for All Subjects" and enhance students' AI literacy. Before rushing to write proposals and procure equipment, how should schools plan? This article, drawing on the frontline experience of several principals and education experts, summarizes five essential school-based AI planning directions for teachers to read during the Easter holidays.

Summer Holiday: Preparation Period Before Writing the "AI for Empowering Learning and Teaching Funding" Proposal

With the summer holiday approaching, many schools are preparing for the "Smart Learning" funding plan. This is not the time to rush to finish writing the proposal all at once. Instead, it is a perfect opportunity for organizing ideas, assessing school-based needs, and absorbing frontline experiences.

Instead of asking, "Which AI solution should we buy?", it's better to consider: What does our school most want to improve? Which group of teachers is best suited to pilot the solution? What type of AI support do students need most? When the direction is clearer, the subsequent use of the HK$500,000 allocation, solution comparison, and curriculum design will often go more smoothly.

1. Take Stock of Existing E-Learning Resources

Dr. Rita Yeung Pui Shan, Principal of Yan Chai Hospital Law Chan Chor Si College, pointed out that schools do not need to rush to decide on all expenditures at this stage. The "AI for Empowering Learning and Teaching Funding Programme" subsidy can be extended to the 2027/28 academic year. Now is the "golden period for mindful planning."

She proposed the SPACE strategy:

• Survey Resources

• Prepare Teachers

• Assess Tools

• Calendar Training

• Engage Students

  
  

The first step is not procurement but examining the school's existing information technology and digital education resources. This includes assessing whether the school is already involved in other AI projects, which subjects have a foundation, and which areas still have gaps. This reminds teachers that if the school already has certain platforms or pilot projects, the new $500,000 allocation can be used to fill in the gaps, rather than starting from scratch.

2. Implementing AI for All Subjects

Schools with similar philosophies can seek collaboration opportunities to utilize AI for personalized instruction. At the "AI-Enabled Education" seminar held at the Science Park, Mr. Liang Kwun Fan, Chairperson of the Kowloon Region School Heads Association, said: "When promoting AI teaching in schools, we hope that schools in similar regions or with similar teaching characteristics will have more opportunities for cooperation. This collaboration can leverage synergistic effects, bring together different stakeholders, and increase the effectiveness of development."

Legislative Council member for the education sector, Lawrence Tang Fei, MH, pointed out that subject education can be viewed from three aspects: curriculum and teaching materials, teaching methods, and assessment. He believes it is especially worthwhile to strengthen the application and support of AI in assessment. This includes analyzing students' performance in different subjects and even each question. This way, schools and teachers can design more precise teaching materials and arrangements, moving towards "personalized teaching based on aptitude."

3. Starting from the Existing Foundation

Principal Choy Sai-hung, Chairman of Education Convergence, believes that schools should start from their existing foundation. He cited his own school as an example: a gradual approach with a strategy of "50% reuse, 30% expansion, and 20% innovation." Funding should be allocated over three years to avoid purchasing equipment all at once, which can lead to obsolescence and waste. He emphasizes that "people are more important than money" and proposes four "don'ts":

1. Don't rely on one person for overall coordination.

2. Don't impulsively purchase new products.

3. Don't outsource everything.

4. Don't rush for quick results.

   
   

Teaching needs should be clarified first before allocating resources. This ensures that teachers can teach easily and students can learn effectively.

4. Ensure Teachers Have Adequate AI Literacy

Principal Yeung Pui Shan places "Prepare Teachers" at the forefront of the SPACE strategy. To promote AI teaching, the key is not just whether the tools are advanced, but whether teachers understand their uses, are willing to use them, and whether the school has positively addressed their concerns about academic integrity and workload.

During the holidays, gather feedback from teachers to understand whether they hope AI can help with "teaching," "learning," or "assessment." Once these pain points are clarified, the content will be more specific and easier to achieve. This applies to selecting an AI platform, planning teacher professional development training, or writing the expected outcomes in a proposal.

5. Evaluate the "Student Learning Partner" Function

At the briefing session of the Hong Kong Association for Computer Education’s “AI for Empowering Learning and Teaching Funding Programme” grant program, Mr. T.H. Fong, a council member of HKACE and vice principal of Pope Paul VI College, proposed that AI should not only be a tool for teachers but also a learning partner for students.

He reminded schools that many current AI applications mainly focus on teacher lesson preparation or assessment. However, the ecosystem for students to directly use AI for learning is still insufficient. Therefore, when evaluating AI solutions on the market, schools should focus on:

• Can students use the AI system directly and safely?

• Where is students' private data stored?

• Can the system connect to the school's existing LMS (Learning Management System)?

• Can the supplier provide real-world application cases in Hong Kong schools?

  
  

These questions can help schools accurately determine whether a solution meets their needs, ensuring that funding effectively enhances students' AI literacy.

Further Reading: Special Education Schools and the "School-Based AI LLM" Program

If a school, in addition to its concern for general classroom applications, places particular emphasis on data security, school-based context (such as generating content unique to the school), or needs to provide highly customized support for SEN (Special Education Needs) students, it may be helpful to read the following articles during the holidays to explore long-term technology deployments:

• Specialized School AI Planning: Why Consider Building a Core School-Based AI LLM (Large Language Model)?

  
  

Summary

The "AI for Empowering Learning and Teaching Funding Programme" is not a sprint. For many schools, the most worthwhile thing to do during the Easter break is to clarify their direction. Identify school-specific needs, find teachers willing to try it out, and understand the support students truly need. Then, decide on the tools and solutions. Good preliminary planning is essential to transforming the $500,000 allocation into a long-term asset that truly improves learning and teaching.

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