SECTION
FOR HONGKO
YOU TEENAGERS!
London.
TAKE a long look at the school report card re- printed on this page. Strange, is it not? English, mathematics, modern lan- guages, history and art are relegated to the last part of the report.
They are secondary, it would seem, to attributes like public spirit, sense of justice, ability to face discomforts, mockery and boredom, ability to organise, and conscientiousness.
The man who uses this system to tell parents how their sons are progressing is Dr. Kurt Hahn, craggy faced, hollow eyed founder of Gordonstoun school.
-
He is the man who helped to mould Prince Philip, His educational system is devoted to producing strong men-mên who can lead.
Accusations
He was extremely frank about the rigours of the system as we talked over breakfast at an hotel in London.
"Yes, it is rigorous. It has been criticised on these grounds. And I welcome this. Birt all I ask is that it should be informed criticism.
"I was accused just after the First World War of Anglicising German education. I have also been accused of Prussianising British educatior. Because was born a German, Prussianism in me.
I
people see
"But then, of course, there are people
that every who think Frenchman keeps a mistress.
:
DID YOU EVER SEE A REPORT CARD LIKE THIS?
FINAL REPORT TO PARENTS
Public Spirit
Sense of Justice
Ability to state facts precisely
Ability to follow out what he believes to be
the right course in the face of
Discomforts
Hardships
Dangers
Mockery
Boredam
Scepticism
Impulses of the moment.
Ability to plan
Imagination
Ability to organise
Shown in the disposition of work
In the direction of younger boys
bility to deal with the unexpected
was forced to flee it when the Nazis came to power.
Degree of Mental concentration & ves
Where the task in questi
•
مو
Where it does not
Conscientiousness
rydes Affairs
In tasks with which He
Manners
entrusted
7
44x
-un Ader the
Int
Standard reached in Stūdies: —~-
English
Ancient Languages:
Modern Languages
Histo
Natural Science
Mathematics
specially
Practical Work (Handicraft, etc.).
Art Work (Music, Drawing, etc)
Physical Exercises. L
Fighung spirit
Endurance
Reaction timez
by DEREK DRISCOLL
"The fact is that I was born. a German Jew. I came to England as a Rhodes Scholar. England influenced me deeply, I hope that I have incorporated He does not like his methods the best of the English system of education described Into the Salem one."
Hahn system. "My proud boast from everywhere. Salem
the ..was
school he
is that there is nothing original from Dr Arnold, and certainly my boys. I do not make them do founded in Germany in 1919. He in the system. 'It cribbed from Plato.
17-21
is
CLUB MAILBOX
as the
From Goethe,
"But I know what is good for
things that are irksome simply believing that because they are, they must be good. That is a rather stupid Victorian notion and doesn't work.
"I have invented nothing. merely applied the lessons of the ages. I think that the system will stand. I hope that it will expand. I admit its basis is "And my system does. hard. And so is life.
"It is not for the sake "I force
boy *
into Spartan
simplicity that I experience the more un- forbade my pupils to drink or pleasant it is the moro he smoke. I know it isn't good for
his own must face
weakness, them. I don't myself for way he will medical reasons.
Overcome it.
VER since my photograph, "Reach for the Sky," appeared in EVE
one of your weekly publications, I have been eagerly awaiting And this is the the arrival of my credit card. Up to now I have not received it. Please let me know why this is so. I also recall that in my This also first letter I asked that my negative be returned to me,
ascertain has not happened. I do hope you will take steps to whether anything has gone awry.-Robert Bau, Kowloon.
Your credit card is on its way, Robert. We regret the delay, As for your negative, we but we send these off once a month. cannot understand why it shouldn't have reached you-our records show that it was mailed on August 5. Please let us know if you've got it by now.
A
in our "Mailbox,”
་
of
"But when' they grow up they And I can please themselves.
believe that rabid tee- totalers are not the best of
an do
"But though I force experience on to a boy. I will not force an opinion. My object is to produce character. I am not unjust.
I
"Let
Stupid
a
I I
oppotunity
company.
01
While Dr Hahn was showing me the Gordonstoun report card he struck the word "he" out of the line "Ability to flow out what he believes to be the right course, etc.," and substituted "the Fuehrer.'
"
FTER reading Miss Angela Ho's letter
us say a boy is feel I have something to say. She has suggested a pen-palj column in our pages. In my opinion this is really a good idea and dreamer and a musician.
promote fellowship should be encouraged in order to
among make him sail a boat in bad It seemed a strange thing to members who will then take such an opportunity to exchange weather for his own good I must do. And it took me some time to their views and discuss whatever they think appropriate. Then, also give him the
appreciate his trony. "Precisely. I would like to say that of the three pages allotted to the Club, to make the best of his music, that action, written in chalk on there is only about one page of members articles and drawings. I aim to produce a well-rounded Can any member suggest some method of encouragement? More-character. over, can I too send in my suggestion, that we have a column on books to show members a way to select good reading? Thanks. "It is said that too much
-Jonathan Moa, Kowloon.
NOTICE
BOARD
JO JOINS US
ONE
NE 'of the Club's most frequent contributers, Josephine E. Law, has been signed up by the 17-21 Club to revive that popular column,
The Distaff Side.”
Josephine, whose often acid and witty observations on the antics of adoles cents and adults alike has brought chuckles from the stoniest of our readers, makes her debut as staff. contributor on page 2 today.
a blackboard in a public hall in CASH Germany 27 years go, led to my arrest by the Gestapo," he said.
That alteration answer to those who say he totalitarian...
VOUCHERS
a
is Dr Hahn's HAVE you enough credit cards
is mostly An aristocracy
Ja
-
a voucher?--Then watch - next week's mail when the first batch of these prizes will reach members. If you find you have over 10 credit cards`. and not receive a voucher by the end of the week, please let us know.
stress is placed 100m
physical and games, This ig So far, Jonathan, there hasn't been enough demand for a pen- prowess
At Gordonstoun we pal column. I think members feel this is sufficiently covered by not true. the Children's Corner in the Sunday Post-Herald. However cut them down to two periods
week. Then It should enough people write in requesting it, we'll gladly oblige, a We would like to point out that the 17-21 Club was primarily running, jumping, and throw- Introduced to provide a forum for young men and women where ing.
"That phrase separates my they could express themselves in writing, drawing—or airing their "This I know is good for views. So if you have some pet peeve or anything you'd like to them. Why, I even cured two ideals from Hitler's. My system would shrivel in a dictatorship. discuss why not write in to the Mailbox? Your last suggestion | confirmed stutterers by forcing will materialise in the near future. We feel, along with quife a them into high jumping. So Mine is an education for life, not few members, that a book review column for young people is you can see that it is really essential.
remedial affair."
Is the doctor an athlete HAVE been reading your special section dedicated to the teen- himself? When he met me in agers in Hongkong for the past few months, and find I enjoy the hall of his hotel he ran up it very much. I would like to join the Club. I am an enthusiast in a flight of stairs. Chinese painting. Do you think you could print some of my uprk? But appearances ате decep. —Margaret Kao, Kowloon.
tive. An operation to re- "An aristocracy of accomplish-ATTENTION ·
not, of birth. An We'd be glad to, Margaret, but make sure they're in black and lieve brain compression in his ment white.
youth debarred the doctor from aristocracy that is the sword arm any great activity.
of democracy.
I
:
(Continued on Page 3)
1
B
for death
ELVIS vs PAT
"Under a dictatorship it would and the the bully produce braggart. But if that were the The votes are li to watch Tea
Thomas' column. next end product it would not be my system. Mine produces men. And good men,
H. "AHMED: · As you will see in
next week's issue, you the exception to the rule,
AHMED