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SATURDAY, JUNE 17, 1978
WORKSHOP ON FAMILY LIFE EDUCATION
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THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE, MRS. EVELYN DOE TODAY STRESSED THE NEED FOR CONSTANT REAPPRAISAL OF THE PROGRAMME ON FAMILY LIFE EDUCATION.
SPEAKING AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF A FAMILY LIFE EDUCATION WORKSHOP FOR SOCIAL WORKERS, TEACHERS AND NURSERY STAFF, MRS. DOE SAID: IT IS ESSENTIAL FOR PROFESSIONALS IN EDUCATION AND SOCIAL SERVICE FIELDS TO EXERT CO-OPERATIVE EFFORTS IN IDENTIFYING THE CHANGING NEEDS OF THE POPULATION, SO THAT MORE EFFECTIVE APPROACHES COULD BE DERIVED.+
MRS. DOE ALSO EMPHASISED THE IMPORTANCE OF INTEGRATING THE FAMILY LIFE EDUCATION SERVICE INTO VARIOUS AREAS OF COMMUNITY WORK, AS THIS LONG-TERM PROGRAMME, AIMING AT THE IMPROVEMENT OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIP AND THE CULTIVATION OF SOCIAL CONSCIOUSNESS, REQUIRED A SYSTEMATIC AND ALL-EMBRACING MODE OF IMPLEMENTATION.
SHE POINTED OUT THAT SINCE THE GOVERNMENT ASSUMED THE CO- ORDINATING ROLE IN 1977, RESPONSE FROM THE VOLUNTARY SECTOR AND THE PUBLIC HAD BEEN ENCOURAGING. SHE HOPED THAT THIS KIND OF ACTIVE PARTICIPATION FROM ALL PARTIES CONCERNED WOULD CONTINUE.
AFTER THE OPENING CEREMONY, THE WORKSHOP BEGAN WITH A LECTURE ON THE ORIGIN, CONCEPT AND SCOPE OF FAMILY LIFE EDUCATION BY MRS. KATHERINE SHIN, A SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL IN CHARGE OF FAMILY LIFE EDUCATION IN WONG TAI SIN.
TRACING ITS HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT BACK TO THE 1930'S. MRS. SHIN SAID THE MOVEMENT STARTED AS A RESULT OF AN ACUTE DEMAND FOR MORE KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS ON PARENTHOOD, CHILD CARE MARRIAGE AND HOUSEHOLD MANAGEMENT AMONG NORTH AMERICAN FAMILIES WHICH WERE THEN UNDERGOING RAPID CHANGES DUE TO URBANISATION AND INDUSTRIALISATION,
+THIS AMALGAMATION OF KNOWLEDGE CLOSELY CONNECTED WITH THE DAILY LIFE WITHIN THE FAMILY EXPERIENCED A MAJOR EXPANSION AT THE TIME OF WORLD WAR I, WHEN SEX EDUCATION WAS LOOKED UPON AS A PREVENTIVE MEASURE AGAINST VENEREAL DISEASES AND PROSTITUTION,+ SHE POINTED OUT,
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IN HONG KONG, MRS. SHIN SAID, FAMILY LIFE EDUCATION HAD GONE A LONG WAY SINCE 1952, WHEN INITIAL ATTEMPTS MADE BY PIONEERING AGENCIES TO PROMOTE POPULATION EDUCATION AND MARRIAGE COUNSELLING EVOLVED INTO THE PRESENT DAY FULL-SCALE PROGRAMME.
DRAWING ON EXPERIENCE GATHERED FROM THE FIRST PHASE OF THE FAMILY LIFE EDUCATION CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED EARLIER THIS YEAR, ANOTHER SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL, MRS. HENRIETTA CHEN, SOLICITED THE SUPPORT OF THE MEDIA TO HELP CONVEY RELEVANT KNOWLEDGE TO THE COMMUNITY.
MRS. CHEN SAID THAT THE FORMATION OF A CENTRAL GUIDING COMMITTEE ON FAMILY LIFE EDUCATION, AS PROPOSED IN THE GREEN PAPER ON PERSONAL SOCIAL WORK AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE, WOULD SERVE TO CONSOLIDATE THE ALREADY ESTABLISHED TIES AMONG GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS AND VOLUNTARY AGENCIES.
THE WORKSHOP ALSO COMPRISED GROUP DISCUSSIONS AND SLIDE AND FILM SHOWS COMPLEMENTED BY A DISPLAY OF POSTERS, PAMPHLETS, BOOKS, MAGAZINES, AND MODELS ON FAMILY LIFE EDUCATION.
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