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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1974.
NEED FOR ALL-ROUND SOCIAL AND SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT OF PUPILS
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THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION (SECONDARY), MR. ROBERT CAMERON, THIS AFTERNOON STRESSED THE NEED TO ENSURE NOT ONLY INTELLECTUAL TRAINING BUT ALSO THE ALL-ROUND SOCIAL AND SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT OF PUPILS.
SPEAKING AT THE TENTH SPEECH DAY OF THE CONFUCIAN TẠI SHING SCHOOLS, MR. CAMERON NOTED THAT THEY CONTINUED TO THRIVE NOT ONLY IN ACADEMIC ATTAINMENTS BUT ALSO IN THE WIDE RANGE OF ACTIVITIES PROVIDED FOR THE STUDENTS, PARTICULARLY THOSE ACTIVITIES WHICH INVOLVE SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY.
+THE SCHOOLS ARE CLEARLY CONTINUING TO PREPARE THEIR STUDENTS AS FULLY AS POSSIBLE FOR THE TIME WHEN THEY WILL MAKE THEIR OWN WAYS IN ADULT SOCIETY, HE SAID.
+AND THEY ARE DOING SO NOT MERELY BY TELLING THEM WHAT THEY SHOULD DO AND HOW THEY SHOULD ACT BUT, MORE IMPORTANT, BY GIVING THEM THE OPPORTUNITIES, THROUGH MANY SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES, TO PARTICIPATE, TO TAKE AN ACTIVE PART.+
REFERRING TO COMPLAINTS ABOUT HOW MUCH SOCIETY WAS CHANGING AND ABOUT THE DETERIORATION IN STANDARDS, MR. CAMERON SAID IT WAS RATHER A WASTE OF TIME TO COMPLAIN ABOUT CHANGE.
+IT IS INEVITABLE. WE SHOULD, HOWEVER, BE CONCERNED ABOUT THE SPEED OF CHANGE AND ABOUT THE QUALITY OF OUR LIVES. I THINK ONE OF THE MAJOR PROBLEMS FACING US TODAY IS NOT CHANGE ITSELF, BUT THE GREAT SPEED AT WHICH IT IS HAPPENING. THIS IS MOST EVIDENT IN THE MATERIAL WORLD AROUND US,+ HE SAID.
SPEAKING ABOUT THE DANGERS OF RAPID CHANGES AND THE FEELING OF IMPERMANENCE, MR. CAMERON SAID:+ AS IN ALL OTHER ASPECTS OF OUR LIVES CHANGÉ IS ALSO INEVITABLE. BUT SUCH CHANGES CAN BE DANGEROUS IF THEY ARE MADE TOO RAPIDLY AND WITHOUT SUFFICIENT THOUGHT.
+SUCH CHANGES WILL AFFECT THOSE STANDARDS OF BEHAVIOUR, THE MORAL CODE UPON WHICH OUR SOCIETY AND ALL OUR HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS ARE FOUNDED.
+IN A RAPIDLY CHANGING MATERIAL WORLD, THEREFORE, IT IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT, I THINK, THAT FOR THE MENTAL WELFARE OF SOCIETY AS A WHOLE AND OF THE INDIVIDUALS WITHIN IT, SOME SENSE OF PERMANENCE, OF CONTINUING VALUES IN OUR CULTURAL AND SPIRITUAL LIVES IS MAINTAINED.+
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