Press Release
17th February, 2025
Students learn to suppress their emotions subconsciously by modeling
teachers and parents, says Hong Kong’s mental health advisory head
Emotional education has garnered significant attention in academic circles with the Education Bureau implementing the "4Rs Mental Health Charter " this academic year. The charitable organization JUST FEEL, the first in Hong Kong to systematically promote "Social-Emotional Learning ," hosted the JUST FEEL Social-Emotional Learning Conference 2025 last Saturday. During the event, Dr. LAM Ching-choi, the chairman of the Advisory Committee on Mental Health, shared his childhood experience of being beaten by a teacher with a cane, pointing out that if teachers and parents only resort to scolding and never share their feelings with students, students will learn to suppress their emotions subconsciously. Therefore, he emphasized that Social-Emotional Learning cannot rely solely on textbook instruction. In addition to being willing to listen to students' feelings, educators should also lead by example by sharing their own emotions. He urged principals to share their negative feelings when facing difficulties and setbacks during school assemblies.
JUST FEEL Social-Emotional Learning Conference 2025 was attended by over 80 school representatives and nearly 300 primary education professionals. The organizers invited Dr. LAM Ching-choi, the chairman of the Advisory Committee on Mental Health, Dr. Rebecca CHEUNG, Senior Associate Professor of Educational Studies at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, and Mr. Ivan CHONG Shing-Him, Education Advisor of the Hong Kong Buddhist Association, to discuss effective strategies for promoting Social-Emotional Learning, research findings, and practical experiences in response to the challenges faced by academia in promoting emotional education.
Representing the school sponsoring body, Ivan CHONG stated that the academic community has observed that many students' mental health issues stem from their families. Thus, schools should promote Social-Emotional Learning through a whole-school approach, including educating parents to focus on students' feelings rather than just academic performance. Seven member primary schools of the Hong Kong Buddhist Association participated in the "JUST FEEL Sponsoring Body Compassionate School Programme," promoting Social-Emotional Learning among students, teachers, and parents, and establishing cross-school committees to share resources and experiences, to systematically prevent mental health issues among students.
Professor Rebecca CHEUNG shared research findings, revealing that there is no direct correlation between students' social-emotional abilities and their sense of happiness. However, if students possess high levels of both social-emotional abilities and close interpersonal relationships, they can experience higher levels of happiness. She likened interpersonal relationships to a "bridge" that effectively enhances students' mental health through social-emotional education.
Mr. Raymond YANG Sze-Ngai, co-founder of JUST FEEL, also emphasized the importance of interpersonal relationships for students' mental health. He stated, "JUST FEEL is the first organization in Hong Kong to integrate Social-Emotional Learning with Compassionate Communication and systematically promote it within local schools in Hong Kong. We value students building closer relationships through communication, enabling them to feel secure in sharing their feelings and needs. Therefore, in addition to Social-Emotional Learning, our collaboration with schools includes Relationship Building to enhance relationships between students, peers, and teachers, fostering a sense of belonging and security on campus. The Education Bureau's '4Rs Mental Health Charter' highlights 'Relationship' as a key element in promoting students' mental health, aligning perfectly with the principles we have been advocating for."
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About JUST FEEL:
JUST FEEL is the first registered charitable organization to systematically promote “Social-Emotional Learning” and “Compassionate Communication” in local schools in Hong Kong. With the motto of “Connection before Solution”, JUST FEEL is dedicated to transforming the communication culture in schools and families, empowering educators and parents to enhance the emotional well-being of children. Since its establishment in 2018, JUST FEEL has partnered with over 40 primary schools, supporting more than 37,300 students, 7,800 teachers, and 51,300 parents.
Please visit https://www.justfeel.hk/ for more details.
Media inquiry:
Judy LI
JUST FEEL Assistant Manager (Fundraising & Marketing)
Tel：(852) 9172 5533
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