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REPORT FROM HONG KONG
ما
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Development af Civic
and Social Sense.
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INTRODUCTION
I was in Hong Kong far too short a time for any comments of mine to be of great validity on questions of detail, but there are some general matters on which I would like to say a little.
Hong Kong itself is one of the most invigorating, lively and attractive territories I have visited. I have been accused of seeing it through rose-coloured spectacles. This may or may not be true but it certainly is true that the time was too short to do more than catch a glimpse of the problems, difficulties and possibilities. Hong Kong has been so supremely successful in its rehabilitation since the Japanese Occupation that one tends to take for granted a starting point for future development which has only been achieved by great labour and no small sacrifice.
I. This is a matter that has already been discussed in high places and it seemed to me an unnecessarily gloomy view had been taken. From what I saw and hear, there is a tremendous amount of unselfish goodwill abroad among the various communities in Hong Kong. It seems however to lack both coordination and public relations. On the other hand the civic as opposed to the social sense did not appear to be so highly developed. Both through informal and formal educational agencies there is a need for positive train- ing in citizenship in two senses at least:-
(a)
In the techniques of civic administration both in learning of it factually and in the practical application of these facts through such schemes as the running of clubs and societies, through mock trials and town councils and through local surveys leading to practical propositions for development and change. This would be preparation for active participation as adults in civic life.
(b) In the spirit of corporate action through community life and the organisation and running of schools, clubs and societies with the emphasis that can and should be laid upon responsibilities and duties preceding rights and priveleges.
This is easy enough to say; it is more difficult to do against the background of varied religions and Christian denominations, coupled with no small degree of spiritual apathy. The vacuum thus created can and is so easily filled by the positive doctrine of communism. To combat this, some equally positive creed or philosophy is needed now. I know that the Hong Kong Education Department is fully aware of this and is alive to any possibilities and experiments that can be used to train both the younger generation, and, where possible, the adults, into a conception of citizenship that is not necessarily linked solely to Hong Kong, but will be a training for citizenship of any community. This means that young people educated in Hong Kong should be able to, be effective members of their societies whether inside or outside British territory. Suggestions discussed in Hong Kong group themselves round:-
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(2)
the development of local responsibility as outlined in point above;
the possibility of introducing into non-denominational and non-Christian schools, assemblies where for a very short time at regular intervals the education of the boys and girls can be developed from the materialism and the economic pressure of their environment on to a more aesthetic and cultural plane,
By reading prose and verse from the cultural heritages of all races; by
/listening