8
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 14, 1976
NEW CURRICULUM REPRESENTS MAJOR STEP FORWARD IN EDUCATION ******
THE NEW CURRICULUM FOR FORMS 1 TO 3 REPRESENTS A MAJOR STEP FORWARD IN EDUCATION IN HONG KONG, THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION, MR. KENNETH TOPLEY, SAID TODAY,
ADDRESSING THE SPEECH DAY OF THE SHENG KUNG HUI TANG SHIU KIN SECONDARY SCHOOL, MR. TOPLEY SAID THE NEW CURRICULUM WAS FAR MORE SUITABLE FOR A WIDE ABILITY RANGE OF STUDENTS THAN THE EXAM-ORIENTED SYLLABUSES.
BUT, THE DIRECTOR SAID, THE FULL SYLLABUSES ARE STILL TOO EXTENSIVE FOR THE REALLY LESS ABLE STUDENTS AND, FURTHERMORE, THE APPROACH WITH ITS EMPHASIS ON INTEGRATION OF RELATED SUBJECTS, ALTHOUGH LOGICAL, DOES NOT NECESSARILY SUIT ALL SCHOOLS.
+WE HAVE PRODUCED THIS DETAILED CURRICULUM FIRST, BECAUSE TEACHERS NEEDED GUIDANCE IN NEW APPROACHES AND IT IS EASIER TO EXTRACT ESSENTIALS FROM A DETAILED DESCRIPTION THAN TO ELABORATE ON BARE BONES.
+ THE CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE IS NOW GOING TO EXTRACT THESE BARE BONES AND PRODUCE FURTHER GUIDANCE TO SHOW WHAT IS ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL IN THE NEW CURRICULUM, THAT IS WHAT EVERY STUDENT SHOULD LEARN AND EXPERIENCE, IRRESPECTIVE OF WHAT DETAILED APPROACH HIS SCHOOL WISHES TO FOLLOW. THIS WILL GIVE EVERY STUDENT A GENUINE COMMON-CORE' COURSE OF STUDY, WHILE STILL ALLOWING INDIVIDUAL SCHOOLS TO ADAPT THE CURRICULUM TO THE PARTICULAR NEEDS OF THE SCHOOL.
+ IT IS THIS LAST POINT THAT I WOULD LIKE TO LEAVE WITH YOU. EVERY SCHOOL HAS DIFFERENT NEEDS AND GIVEN THE FREEDOM TO ADAPT TO THESE NEEDS WILL DEVELOP AN INDIVIDUALITY OF ITS OWN, + THE DIRECTOR SAID.
MR. TOPLEY REFERRED TO CRITICISM OF THE WHITE PAPER ON EDUCATION POLICY FOR NOT SAYING A GREAT DEAL ABOUT THE NATURE OF THE EDUCATION TO BE PROVIDED IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS EXCEPT IN RELATION TO PRACTICAL SUBJECTS, AND THE OMISSION OF SPECIFIC REFERENCES TO HOW QUALITY RATHER THAN JUST QUANTITY SHOULD BE ACHIEVED.
BUT, HE SAID, AN EDUCATIONAL POLICY SET OUT IN A WHITE PAPER // MÁ INLY CONCERNED WITH THE PROVISION OF SECONDARY EDUCATION FOR ALL, WAS NOT THE PLACE TO DELVE INTO CURRICULUM DETAILS,
HE POINTED OUT THAT THIS WAS QUITE RIGHTLY LEFT TO THE CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE WITH ITS STRONG REPRESENTATION FROM SCHOOLS.
THE DIRECTION