66
Art
EDUCATION
A major feature of the work of the Cultural Crafts Centre during the year was the development of new courses in art, design and home economics for junior secondary forms-in preparation for the implementation of the policy on cultural and practical subjects embodied in the White Paper on secondary education. New syllabuses in these subjects were introduced on a trial basis in September.
The postcard design competition-one of a group of art competitions organised for school children-was of particular interest. It encouraged children to create paint- ings of their own environment, producing an entirely original set of postcards of Hong Kong and its surroundings.
An art and needlework exhibition, held during the Chinese New Year holidays, attracted more than 2,000 teachers and students. It included drawings, paintings, calligraphy, and embroidery. As in recent years, there was a further increase in the numbers of candidates entering the Hong Kong Certificate of Education examination in these subjects.
Physical Education and Recreation
The physical education section of the Education Department continued to run outdoor education camps which involved 845 primary and 8,419 secondary students. In the 1975 Summer Youth Activities Programme-which is a community effort-- camping was again the most popular activity among both primary and secondary schools. About 12,000 pupils went camping, including some physically handicapped children. Some 6,000 children from 192 primary schools took part in the Education Department's learn-to-swim scheme in the summer.
The physical education section also worked in close co-operation with the Hong Kong Schools Sports Association, the New Territories Schools Sports Association and the Hong Kong Schools Sports Council in organising various activities such as the dance festival, gymnastic displays and swimming competitions. Other projects in- cluded the Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme and road safety education.
Refresher courses for teachers, with emphasis on modern trends in physical educa- tion and new techniques in sports and games, were conducted during the summer vacation. A new syllabus for physical education was also introduced in secondary schools.
In the first 14 months of the Recreation and Sport Service, 130,000 people took part in 900 events promoted by the service. About 90 per cent of the participants were below 27 years old and 75 per cent were in the 12-24 age group. Co-operation from the national sports associations has been very encouraging, and 60 courses for coaches, instructors, referees or leaders have produced 3,000 trained people to service the wide variety of programmes.
The Recreation and Sport Service has launched a massive and long-term project to bring recreation and sports to residents of Hong Kong's densely populated housing