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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1975
NEW CURRICULUM EMPHASISES QUALITY AND RELEVANCE ******
THE CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE (C.D.C.) IS MAKING A DETERMINED BID TO UPDATE THE JUNIOR SECONDARY CURRICULUM SO AS TO SERVE THE REAL NEEDS, INTERESTS AND ABILITIES OF A VERY WIDE RANGE OF PUPILS IN HONG KONG, THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION, MR. KENNETH TOPLEY SAID TODAY.
ADDRESSING THE PHARMACEUTICAL 'ASSOCIATION'S LUNCHEON, MR. TOPLEY SAID THAT THE COMMITTEE HAD SPENT A CONSIDERABLE PERIOD ATTACKING THE TWIN PROBLEMS OF QUALITY AND RELEVANCE BY EXAMINING THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE ENTIRE JUNIOR SECONDARY CURRICULUM.
AS A RESULT, THE COMMITTEE, WHICH IS DRAWN FROM ALL SECTORS OF THE LOCAL EDUCATIONAL COMMUNITY, ESTABLISHED GENERALLY AGREED CRITERIA TO BE OBSERVED BY THE CURRICULUM TEAMS IN THEIR DETAILED DEVELOPMENT OF THE CONSTITUENT COURSES OF THE CURRICULUM.
MR. TOPLEY SAID THAT THE EMPHASIS IN THE NEW JUNIOR SECONDARY CURRICULUM WAS VERY DEFINITELY ON QUALITY AND RELEVANCE.
→GROUPS OF SCHOOLS ARE NOW TRYING OUT THE NEW SYLLABUSES ON A VOLUNTARY BASIS, WITH THE HELP OF THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT'S ADVISORY INSPECTORATÉ THE EXECUTIVE ARM OF THE C.D.C.
+ THE AIM OF THE TRY-OUT PERIOD IS OF COURSE TO TEST THE MATERIAL THOROUGHLY, TO ADJUST IT IF NECESSARY AND THEN TO ESTABLISH IT AS THE STANDARD PATTERN OF EDUCATION AT THIS LEVEL,+ THE DIRECTOR SAID.
HE STRESSED THAT TRUE CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT IF IT WAS TO BE GENUINELY EFFECTIVE, DEMANDED THE ACTIVE AND WHOLE-HEARTED CO-OPERATION OF EVERYONE INVOLVED IN THE EDUCATIONAL PROCESS THE UNIVERSITIES, THE TEACHER-TRAINING INSTITUTIONS, EDUCATIONAL PUBLISHERS, SCHOOL HEADS, TEACHERS, PUPILS AND PARENTS.
MR. TOPLEY SAID HE WAS HAPPY TO REPORT THAT +WE ARE NOW LIAISING WITH EDUCATIONAL PUBLISHERS ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW MATERIALS DESIGNED TO ENCOURAGE IMAGINATIVE TEACHING STRATEGIES, ESPECIALLY IN THOSE SUBJECTS WHERE THE ENQUIRY-ACTIVITY' APPROACH IS STRONGLY INDICATED.+
THE DIRECTOR ALSO STATED THAT WHATEVER EXAMINATIONS THERE WERE IN THE FUTURE THEY WOULD BE BASED ON THE TEACHING COURSES RECOMMENDED BY THE C.D.C.
/+IN OTHLA NORDS