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TUESDAY, JANUARY 14, 1975.
VALUE OF TECHNICAL EDUCATION
MUST BE RECOGNISED
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THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION (TECHNICAL), MR. ANDREW KINGWELL, TODAY URGED THE PUBLIC TO RECOGNISE THE FACT THAT SINCE HONG KONG HAS AN INDUSTRIALLY BASED ECONOMY, THE TECHNICAL ELEMENT SHOULD HAVE A GROWING SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPORTANCE IN ALL FORMS OF EDUCATION.
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THIS RECOGNITION WAS NEEDED +SO THAT HE MAY PRODUCE IN HONG KONG A GENERATION OF YOUNGSTERS WHO HAVE HAD THEIR INTELLIGENCE DEVELOPED THROUGH THE MEDIUM OF TECHNICAL EDUCATION MEAN TECHNICAL EDUCATION IN THE BROADEST SENSE. TECHNICAL EDUCATION IS THE RIGHT FOR YOUNG PEOPLE OF ALL ABILITY RANGES, MR. KINGWELL TOLD THE LUNCHEON MEETING OF THE ROTARY CLUB OF HONG KONG.
HE ADDED: +TECHNICAL EDUCATION EVEN IN A NARROW SENSE SHOULD NOT BE SOMETHING WHICH IS THOUGHT SUITABLE ONLY FOR CHILDREN OF THE UNDER-PRIVILEGED. I BELIEVE THIS NEW IDEAL HAS BEEN APPRECIATED BY THE AUTHORS OF THE WHITE PAPER WHICH SPECIFIES THAT THERE SHALL BE A COMMON CORE FOR FORMS I TO 1 CONTAINING 25-30 PER CENT OF TECHNICAL/PRACTICAL EDUCATION.+
MR. KINGWELL POINTED OUT THAT MOST FORMS OF ACADEMIC EDUCATION CONTAIN BOTH PRACTICAL AND VOCATIONAL ELEMENTS. HE BELIEVED THAT THERE WAS A TRUE TECHNICAL ELEMENT IN MOST EDUCATION WHETHER IT WAS AT PRIMARY, SECONDARY OR TERTIARY LEVEL.
+TECHNICAL EDUCATION IS EDUCATION THROUGH A STUDY OF THE TECHNOLOGIES AND APPLIED SCIENCES. THIS INVOLVES A KNOWLEDGE OF THE THEORETICAL AND PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS OF THE SUBJECT. THE PRACTICAL ASPECT OF TECHNICAL EDUCATION IS OFTEN BIASED TOWARDS VOCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS, IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES, A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF TIME IS DEVOTED TO THE UNDERSTANDING AND ACQUISITION OF SPECIFIC SKILLS. THIS ASPECT OF TECHNICAL EDUCATION IS STRONGLY DEVELOPED IN TECHNICAL INSTITUTES AND PREVOCATIONAL SCHOOLS.
TECHNICAL EDUCATION IMPLIED SOMETHING MORE THAN TRAINING PEOPLE TO REPAIR CARS OR TELEVISION SETS OR TO OPERATE THE LATEST AUTOMATED MACHINE IN THE LOCAL FACTORY.
THESE THINGS WERE IMPORTANT AND VALUABLE END PRODUCTS OF TECHNICAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING. +HOWEVER FOR INDUSTRIAL PROGRESS TO MAINTAIN ITS MOMENTUM WE NEED SOMETHING MORE THAN THE MASTERY OF EXISTING TECHNIQUES. WE NEED THE INSPIRATION OF THE INVENTOR,+ HE SAID.
WHEN PRODUCING THE NEW SYLLABUSES TO IMPLEMENT THE WHITE PAPER, IT WAS NECESSARY TO IDENTIFY THE TECHNICAL ELEMENTS AND TEACH THESE ELEMENTS IN A WAY SO THAT YOUNG PEOPLE WOULD DEVELOP A SYMPATHY FOR AND AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE TECHNOLOGICAL AGE.
/HR. KINGWELL.