ISHDAY JULY 15, 1974
IMPORTANCE OF ACTIVITY APPROACH TEACHING METHOD
#RE
THE ACTIVITY METHOD APPROACH TO PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHING WHERE THE TEACHER'S ROLE IS MORE THAT OF FRIEND RATHER THAN A MERE INSTRUCTOR - COULD PLAY A VERY SIGNIFICANT PART IN SHAPING THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG. THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION (CHIEF INSPECTOR OF SCHOOLS), FR. ARTHUR EROUN, SAID TODAY.
HE WAS SPEAKING AT THE OPENING OF THE SUMMER CONFERENCE FOR TEACHERS OF THE PILOT SCHENE IN SIX PRIMARY SCHOOLS TO REVIEW THE PROGRESS OF THE INTEGRATED PROJECT AT THE END OF ITS SECOND YEAR,
MR. BROWN SAID HE WAS MOST IMPRESSED DURING A RECENT VISIT TO THREE OF THE SIX PILOT SCHOOLS WHERE EVEN IN CLASSES UITH A LARGE NUKDER OF STUDENTS, TIE CHILDREN WERE VORKING EITHER CO- OPERATIVELY OR INDEPENDENTLY AND ODVIOUSLY ENJOYING THEMSELVES.
HE THOUGHT THE PARTICIPANTS HAD PROVED THAT UITH ENTHUSIASTIC TEACHERS THE SCHEME WAS DEFINITELY VERY SUCCESSFUL AND CLEVER ADAPTATION TO LOCAL CONDITIONS HAD ALREADY BEEN VERY HUCH A FEATURE OF THE SCHENE.
THE PARTICULARLY INTERESTING POINT WAS THAT KODIFICATIONS TO THE SCHEME VAR JED FROM SCHOOL TO SCHOOL SO THAT THEY BECAME VERY MUCH INDIVIDUAL EFFORTS.
THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR SAID THAT CHILDREN IN THE PILOT SCHOOLS WERE DEVELOPING AN INTEREST, A SENSE OF CURIOSITY AND AN INDEPENDENT ATTITUDE, NOT VERY COMMON AMONG CHILDREN TAUGHT MORE CONVENTIONALLY IN HONG KONG. IN MANY OTHER COUNTRIES THE ACTIVITY APPROACH HAS BEEN IN OPERATION FOR SOME TIME IN PRIMARY, AND SOMETIMES EVEN SECONDARY SCHOOLS, KR. BROWN EXPLAINED.
+IT WAS LARGELY BECAUSE OF THIS THAT WE COULD UNDERTAKE A PROJECT LIKE THIS WITH A VERY HIGH ASSURANCE OF SUCCESS. TEACHERS CERTAINLY NEED NOT FEAR THAT HE APPARENT DISORGANISATION OF AN ACTIVITY METHOD APPROACH, MEANS THAT CHILDREN ARE NOT LEARNING. EXPERIENCE ALL OVER THE WORLD HAS PROVED THE SUCCESS OF THIS METHOD WITH CHILDREN OF ALL TYPES,+ HE SAID.
ONE SUCH EFFECT WAS THE INTEREST OF THE THREE COLLEGES OF EDUCATION IN THIS SCHEME.
IT WAS PERHAPS SIGNIFICANT THAT THE PIONEER OF THIS INTEGRATED PROJECT IN HONG KONG WAS MRS. NAGDALEN CHOW UHO HAD BECOME THE PRINCIPAL OF GRANTHAM COLLEGE OF EDUCATION - A PARTICULARLY EFFECTIVE WAY TO SPREAD INTEREST IN THE RIGHT QUARTER, MR. BROWN SAID.
/+THIS INTEREST