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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1976
SECONDARY PUPILS URGED TO DEVELOP
INQUIRING MINDS ****
THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION, MR. KENNETH TOPLEY, THIS AFTERNOON URGED PUPILS ATTENDING THE EIGHTH SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS' SEMINAR AT MORRISON HOUSE TO THINK OF WAYS OF MAKING THEIR ACTIVITIES AS INTELLECTUALLY STIMULATING AS POSSIBLE, THUS PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR PARTICIPANTS TO DEVELOP INQUIRING, ANALYTICAL MINDS.
HE STRESSED THAT COMMUNITY SERVICE ACTIVITIES WITHOUT INTELLECTUAL CHALLENGE DID NOT STIMULATE LASTING INTEREST OR ENTHUSIASM,
MR. TOPLEY SAID : +ACTUALLY THE BEST THING YOU CAN OFFER YOUR COMMUNITY IS THE SERVICE OF YOUR YOUNG, FRESH, FLEXIBLE MINDS.+
THE DIRECTOR TOLD THEM TO DO EVERYTHING THEY COULD IN THE CLASSROOM AND OUT OF IT, BY TAKING PART IN EVENTS LIKE THE SEMINAR THEY WERE ATTENDING, TO DEVELOP A CRITICAL, INQUIRING MIND AND. LOOKING FOR FRESH WAYS OF SOLVING OLD PROBLEMS.
THE SCHOOLS AND TEACHERS COULD ONLY DO SO MUCH AND THEREFORE MUCH DEPENDED ON THE PUPILS' OWN WILLINGNESS TO SEEK OUT ANSWERS, TO TRY FOR THEMSELVES, NO MATTER HOW EXHAUSTING, DISCOURAGING THE IR ATTEMPTS MIGHT BE.
+ DOUBT IF ANYONE CAN MAKE A SERIOUS CONTRIBUTION TO THE COMMUNITY WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO THINK INDEPENDENTLY, IMAGINATIVELY, + MR. TOPLEY SAID.
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THE THEME OF THIS YEAR'S SEMINAR - +WHAT CAN YOUNG PEOPLE DO TO MAKE HONG KONG A BETTER PLACE TO LIVE IN?+ - SHOULD PROVE STIMULATING AND MR. TOPLEY SAID HE LOOKED FORWARD WITH INTEREST TO READING THE FINAL REPORT.
THE DIRECTOR CONGRATULATED PAST AND PRESENT ORGANISING COMMITTEES FOR MAKING THE SEMINARS POPULAR AND SUCCESSFUL.
THE PRESENT SEMINAR COMPETED EFFECTIVELY WITH THE OTHER ATTRACTIONS OF A SCHOOL HOLIDAY AND MR. TOPLEY SAID HE WAS CONVINCED THAT THE MAIN REASON FOR THIS WAS THAT THE STUDENTS WERE DOING SOMETHING THEMSELVES WITH MINIMAL ADULT PARTICIPATION.
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