FRIDAY, APRIL 18, 1975
HONG KONG'S FUTURE ENGINEERS WON'T
BE NARROW-MINDED SPECIALISTS
******
THE QUALITY OF THE EXHIBITS AT THE FIRST ARTS AND CRAFTS EXHIBITION OF THE LUNG CHEUNG GOVERNMENT SECONDARY TECHNICAL SCHOOL DEMONSTRATES THAT SECONDARY TECHNICAL EDUCATION IS A COMPLETE EDUCATION FOR THE YOUTH OF HONG KONG TODAY, THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION (TECHNICAL), MR. ANDREW KINGWELL SAID THIS MORNING.
+THE FACT THAT IN HONG KONG YOUNG TECHNICAL STUDENTS SHOW SUCH A HEALTHY INTEREST IN ART IS PROOF (IF PROOF INDEED WERE NEEDED) THAT HONG KONG'S FUTURE ENGINEERS WILL NOT BECOME NARROW-MINDED SPECIALISTS. ·
+MODERN EDUCATORS ARE CONTINUALLY SEEKING WAYS OF COMING TO TERMS WITH THE SOCIAL, TECHNOLOGICAL AND CULTURAL CHANGES OF THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD AND NOWHERE IS THIS MORE EVIDENT THAN HERE IN HONG KONG,+ HE SAID.
MR. KINGWELL EMPHASISED THAT ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS TO BE RECOGISED WAS THAT FOR HONG KONG TO SURVIVE IN A HIGHLY COMPETITIVE AND COMPLEX WORLD IT MUST HAVE A SUPPLY OF INTELLECTUAL AND TECHNICAL ABILITY TO SATISFY THE DEMAND OF THE WORLD.
EDUCATORS, HE SAID, SHOULD ALSO ENDEAVOUR TO PROVIDE FOR EACH PUPIL THE KIND OF EDUCATION THAT WOULD ENABLE THE STUDENT TO ENJOY DEVELOPING HIS OR HER FULL POTENTIAL AND TO UNDERSTAND A SOCIETY INCREASINGLY INFLUENCED BY CHANGES IN TECHNOLOGY,
THE NEW AWARENESS TO PRACTICAL WORK IN SCHOOLS MUST INEVITABLY BE REFLECTED IN REFORM OF EDUCATIONAL ATTITUDES TO TECHNICAL EDUCATION.
MR. KINGWELL SAID: +THIS IS WHAT THE WHITE PAPER IS ALL ABOUT FOR SURELY OUR EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM MUST PROVIDE THE MEANS OF ENABLING LARGER NUMBERS TO MASTER NEW TECHNIQUES, TO UNDERSTAND THE NEW ENVIRONMENT, AND TO PLAY A PART IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THAT ENVIRONMENT.
WHAT THEN WAS THE RELEVANCE OF AN ARTS AND CRAFTS EXHIBITION TO THE GRAND CONCEPT OF REFORM OF THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM IN HONG KONG
THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR SAID: +ESSENTIALLY THE ANSWER LIES IN THE BELIEF THAT PUPILS HAVE THE ABILITY TO REASON, AND THIS ABILITY MUST BE NURTURED. THE PROJECTS WHICH PUPILS CARRY OUT SHOULD NOT BE DESIGNED BY TEACHERS, BUT ARTS AND CRAFT COURS S SHOULD BE PROGRAMMED BY TEACHERS IN SUCH A WAY AS TO PROVIDE MAXIMUM INTELLECTUAL STIMULUS AND EFFORT.+
NOTE TO EDITORS:
COPIES OF THE FULL TEXT OF MR. KINGWELL'S SPEECH ARE AVAILABLE FOR COLLECTION FROM THE GIS PRESS ROOM, 6TH FLOP BEACONSFIELD HOUSE.
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