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TUESDAY, APRIL 30, 1974.
CALL FOR POPULATION EDUCATION IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS
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THE TIME IS RIPE TO INTRODUCE POPULATION EDUCATION INTO THE LOWER SECONDARY SCHOOL CURRICULUM AND TO MAKE IT AS COMPULSORY AS ANY TOPIC CAN BE IN AN EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM WHERE MAXIMUM FREEDOM IS GIVEN TO SCHOOLS AND TO INDIVIDUAL TEACHERS.
THIS WAS STATED THIS AFTERNOON BY MR. ARTHUR BROWN, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION (CHIEF INSPECTOR OF SCHOOLS), IN HIS KEYNOTE SPEECH ON +POPULATION AWARENESS THROUGH FORMAL EDUCATION+ AT THE FIRST OF FIVE SEMINARS ORGANISED BY THE FAMILY PLANNING ASSOCIATION OF HONG KONG AS PART OF THE WORLD POPULATION YEAR PROGRAMME.
DESCRIBING POPULATION EDUCATION AS A VERY IMPORTANT TOPIC AND ONE THAT WILL BE GROWING IN IMPORTANCE AS TIME GOES ON, MR. BROWN SAID: WE ARE IN FACT IN THE HANDS OF OUR TEACHERS, FOR MANY OF WHOM THE TOPICS MAY BE NEW, AND CERTAINLY THE IDEAL APPROACH TO IT, UNFAMILIAR AND DIFFICULT.
+ONCE OUR CURRICULUM FOR THE EXPANDED SECONDARY SCHOOL SYSTEM IS FINALISED A LOT WILL DEPEND ON OUR TEACHER TRAINERS AND ADVISORY INSPECTORS. CERTAINLY KNOW THAT I CAN PROMISE YOU REAL ENTHUSIASM THERE+
MR. BROWN SAID IT WAS POSSIBLE TO COVER A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF BACKGROUNQ, WORK IN PRIMARY SCHOOL BUT FOR REAL UNDERSTANDING THE SECONDARY LEVEL WAS INDICATED, +ESPECIALLY NOW THAT WE ARE PLANNING A DRIVE FOR RAPIDLY EXPANDING PROVISION AT THE FORM I III LEVELS. FORMS IV AND Y ARE RATHER TOO LATE TO TACKLE A PROBLEM LIKE THIS AS MANY OF THE STUDENTS MAY HAVE LEFT SCHOOL AND FOR THE OTHERS THE RAPIDLY APPROACHING CERTIFICATE OF EDUCATION EXAMINATION TENDS TO DRIVE ALL OTHER MATTERS FROM STUDENTS' MINDS AND REAL EDUCATION BECOMES VERY DIFFICULT.+
THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR SAID HE BELIEVED THAT THE VARIOUS CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEES WOULD WELCOME THE IDEA OF INCLUDING THE TOPIC IN THE PUBLISHED SUGGESTED SYLLABUSES.
HE DISCLOSED THAT THE COMMITTEES WERE IN FACT CONSIDERING AND EXPERIMENTING ON A NEW INTEGRATED SUBJECT FIELD WHICH MIGHT LOOSELY BE CALLED SOCIAL STUDIES.
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+THE IDEA IS TO DEVISE A COURSE WHICH HELPS TO PREPARE STUDENTS FOR FUTURE CITIZENSHIP BY CONSIDERING MANY ASPECTS OF HONG KONG INCLUDING ITS WEATHER, PHYSICAL FEATURES, PEOPLE, TRANSPORT, GOVERNMENT, EXPORTS, IMPORTS, HISTORY, INDUSTRIES. AND SO ON, + MR. BROWN SAID.
THE TOPIC OF POPULATION WOULD FIT IDEALLY INTO A. SCHEME OF THIS NATURE.
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¿THE COURSE.