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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1975
+ IN OTHER WORDS THE TEACHING COURSES WILL SHAPE THE CONTENT AND FORMAT OF THE EXAMINATIONS, SO THAT THE EXAMINATIONS WILL BE COMPATIBLE WITH THE STYLE AND UNDERLYING PURPOSES OF THE CURRICULUM, HE SAID.
THE HONG KONG CERTIFICATE OF EDUCATION BOARD HAD AMENDED ITS CONSTITUTION TO TAKE THIS IMPORTANT PRINCIPLE INTO ACCOUNT AND MR. TOPLEY SAID, +1 LOOK FORWARD TO THE TIME WHEN THE CURRICULUM HAS BECOME FIRMLY EMBEDDED AND THE EXAMINATION HAS BECOME ITS LOYAL SERVANT INSTEAD OF ITS RATHER UNFEELING MASTER.+
WHILE FIRST PRIORITY HAD BEEN GIVEN TO THE JUNIOR SECONDARY CURRICULUM, THE DIRECTOR MADE IT CLEAR THAT PRIMARY EDUCATION HAD NOT BEEN NEGLECTED,
ONE OF THE MOST PROMISING ATTEMPTS SO FAR TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS WAS THE +ACTIVITY APPROACH - A HONG KONG VERSION OF THE INTEGRATED DAY WHICH WAS FAMILIAR IN BRITAIN AND THE UNITED STATES,
+THE ESSENCE OF THE ACTIVITY APPROACH IS THAT IT PROVIDES OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHILDREN TO LEARN AT THEIR OWN PACE ACCORDING TO THEIR OWN ABILITIES, HE SAID.
IT BEGAN AS A PILOT SCHEME IN 1972 AND WAS NOW GRADUALLY GAINING WIDER ACCEPTANCE AMONG SCHOOLS.
+THIS IS VERY ENCOURAGING,+ MR. TOPLEY SAID.
IN CONCLUSION, THE DIRECTOR STATED THAT WHILE THERE WAS QUITE UNDERSTANDABLY CONSTANT PRESSURE FOR RAPID CHANGE FROM PEOPLE COMMITTED TO A PARTICULAR POINT OF VIEW, THE PRIME FACTOR INFLUENCING EDUCATIONAL QUALITY WAS THE QUALITY OF THE TEACHER AND ONE COULD NOT MAKE DRAMATIC OVERNIGHT CHANGES IN PEOPLE'S APPROACHES TO THE WORK.
+QUALITY HAS TO EVOLVE, AND AT THIS STAGE IN THE PROCESS WE CAN ONLY SAY THAT THE CONDITIONS FOR QUALITATIVE CHANGE ARE FAVOURABLE AND THAT WITH PUBLIC SUPPORT OF THE RIGHT KIND, I BELIEVE WE SHALL SEE EVENTUALLY CLEAR EVIDENCE OF SUCH CHANGE,+ MR. TOPLEY SAID.
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