WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 1980
5
QUOTING STATISTICS, MR WU SAID THERE WERE 620 BOYS AND 38 GIRLS PROSECUTED FOR VIOLENT CRIMES ALONE- 17 BLACKMAILERS WERE AGED UNDER 13 AND ANOTHER 65, INCLUDING FIVE GIRLS, WERE AGED UNDER 16.
+WHATEVER THE TRUTH, DON'T THINK WE CAN ACCEPT THAT WHEN MORE OF OUR CHILDREN ARE IN SCHOOL THAN EVER BEFORE MORE OF THEM THAN EVER ARE INVOLVED IN CRIME.
+WHAT DOES THAT SAY ABOUT THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION?
+ IT BRINGS US BACK SHARPLY TO THE KEY ELEMENT IN EDUCATION: THE CHARACTER OF THE MAN OR WOMAN IN FRONT OF THE BLACKBOARD, HE SAID.
HOWEVER, MR WU SAID, HE HAD NO DOUBT THAT MANY TEACHERS WERE CONCERNED WITH THE MORAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE CHILDREN IN THEIR CHARGE OR ELSE WE WOULD BE IN A MUCH WORSE SITUATION.
SCHOOL PRINCIPALS AND HEADMASTERS MUST BE CONSCIOUS OF THEIR RESPONSIBILITY AND EVERY TEACHER MUST RECOGNISE A CLEAR AND POSITIVE DUTY TO LEAD STUDENTS TO TRUE STANDARDS OF BEHAVIOUR.
+ WOULD GO SO FAR AS TO SAY THAT IN THE SYSTEM OF HONOURS AND AWARDS BY WHICH WE RECOGNISE INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTION TO THE COMMUNITY WE MIGHT PAY MORE ATTENTION TO THE TEACHING PROFESSION OR EVEN CONSIDER A SPECIAL FORM OF RECOGNITION FOR THOSE WHO DISPLAY A TRUE SENSE OF THE IR VOCATION, HE SAID.
MR WU BELIEVED IT WAS THE RIGHT TIME TO TEACH MANDARIN+ IN OUR SCHOOLS. IT WOULD BE AN ADVANTAGE IN THE TEACHING AND APPRECIATION OF WRITTEN CHINESE AND IT WOULD HELP TO BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN THE WRITTEN LANGUAGE AND OUR SPOKEN CANTONESE, HE SAID.
IN A WIDER CONTEXT, IT WOULD PUT US IN THE MAINSTREAM OF CHINESE CULTURAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, HE NOTED.
HE SUGGESTED THAT, AS AN ENCOURAGEMENT, THE INTERPRETATION FACILITIES NOW AVAILABLE IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL CHAMBER SHOULD BE EXTENDED TO ALLOW MEMBERS TO SPEAK IN +MANDARIN+.
MR WU ALSO REGRETTED THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT HAD NOT EXEMPTED HONG KONG STUDENTS FROM THE STEEP FEE INCREASE WHICH WAS APPLIED TO OVERSEAS UNIVERSITY STUDENTS.
WHILE APPRECIATING THAT THE ANNUAL GROWTH RATE IN ADMISSIONS TO OUR OWN UNIVERSITIES WOULD BE INCREASED BY ONE PER CENT, MR WU CONTENDED THAT WE WOULD STILL FACE A SERIOUS SHORTFALL IN PLACES.
HE SUGGESTED THAT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD GIVE SERIOUS CONSIDERATION TO SUBSIDISING HONG KONG STUDENTS STUDYING IN BRITISH UNIVERSITIES AND POLYTECHNICS.