How education develops a pathway for students’ lifelong growth

2026.03.18 04:20 Hong Kong’s Christian Alliance International School, located in Lai Chi Kok, caters to more than 1,700 children across its preparatory, lower and upper primary, and secondary school sections. The teachings of philosopher and psychologist John Dewey, who was a major 20th-century education reformer, still resonate with teachers around the world today. He believed that learning is a social, communal process – requiring students to build their own understanding based on personal experience – and involves a continuous, lifelong journey, rather than merely a means to an end for gaining knowledge for one’s future career. He wrote: “The aim of education is growth: the aim of growth is more growth.” One of today’s educators putting these ideas into practice is Daniel Schick, head of school at Hong Kong’s Christian Alliance International School (CAIS) since last August. He has worked in education in the city since 2008 in various roles, including English teacher, head of humanities and high school principal at CAIS. “CAIS is blessed with growth,” says Schick in the latest edition of EdTalk, South China Morning Post’s recurring video series of interviews in which experts discuss pertinent issues surrounding education. “Numerically, we’ve been growing every year in student enrolment, but what we are most concerned about is the growth of the students that we have. “Are they growing emotionally, socially, spiritually and academically? We want to see our students transform through learning, extracurriculars and all the aspects of school life that provide them with leadership opportunities. This is the growth that we seek.” CAIS incorporates faith and its core values – wisdom, integrity, love, service and community – into its classroom and extracurricular activities. CAIS is a non-profit through-train school in Lai Chi Kok, Butterfly Valley, in Kowloon. It offers Canada’s Alberta curriculum, Advanced Placement courses and International Baccalaureate Diploma Program

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