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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1977
MORE AND BETTER EDUCATION, SAYS HAYE
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SPEAKING AT THE ANNUAL SPEECH DAY AND PRIZE-GIVING AT THE NEW TERRITORIES HEUNG YEE KUK YUEN LONG DISTRICT SECONDARY SCHOOL, MR.COLVYN HAYE, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION, DEFENDED THE HONG KONG SCHOOL SYSTEM WHICH IS OFTEN CRITICISED AS BEING STATIC, CONSERVATIVE AND OLD-FASHIONED,
+NO SCHOOL SYSTEM IS PERFECT, MR. HAYE SAID, BUT THE SCHOOL SYSTEM IN HONG KONG IS FUNDAMENTALLY SOUND AND MOVING IN THE RIGHT GENERAL DIRECTION.+
THE GREEN PAPER ON SENIOR SECONDARY AND TERTIARY EDUCATION COULD BE SUMMED UP IN TWO WORDS, MR. HAYE SAID: +MORE+ AND +BETTER+.
THE GOVERNMENT PROPOSAL WAS TO BUILD ON THE EXISTING SYSTEM AND EXTEND THE RANGE OF EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY, WHILE IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION, MR. HAYE DECLARED.
PAYING PARTICULAR TRIBUTE TO THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE YUEN LONG SCHOOL, MR. HAYE SAID THAT IT WAS AN IMPRESSIVE MONUMENT TO THE DEDICATION AND HARD WORK OF THE PRINCIPAL AND STAFF.
IT WAS A MODEL SCHOOL IN MANY RESPECTS. IT WAS ANYTHING BUT STATIC, CONSERVATIVE AND OLD-FASHIONED. TEN MINUTES IN A SCHOOL SUCH AS THIS SHOULD BE ENOUGH TO CONVINCE ANY CRITICS OF THE SYSTEM GENERALLY.
ALTHOUGH THE YUEN LONG SCHOOL HAD A COMPARATIVELY RECENT HISTORY, IT DEMONSTRATED WHAT COULD BE DONE WITH ENERGY, ENTHUSIASM AND DEDICATION.
MR. HAYE TOLD PRIZE WINNERS AND GRADUATES OF THE SCHOOL THAT THEY HAD BEEN WELL EDUCATED TO FACE THE CHALLENGES OF A COMPETITIVE SOCIETY.
HE ADVISED SCHOOL LEAVERS TO LOOK FOR FURTHER EDUCATION IN TECHNICAL INSTITUTES AND IN THE HONG KONG POLYTECHNIC.
+NOT EVERYBODY CAN BE A LAWYER, A DOCTOR, OR A DENTIST,+ MR. HAYE SAID.
THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG WILL DEPEND ON ITS TECHNICIANS AND TECHNOLOGISTS.
+THERE WILL ALWAYS BE A PLACE FOR THE PROFESSIONS BUT YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN WILL BE NEEDED IN INDUSTRY AND COMMERCE, HE ADDED.
MRS. HAYE PRESENTED THE PRIZES AT THE CEREMONY.
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